EDITORIAL: End of an era for Newcastle's Cambridge Hotel, but city won't fall silent if Unilodge proposal approved

It is also clearly a sign of the times.

The site's former co-owner, when putting it up for sale in 2017, remarked that he believed it was unlikely the band room would disappear under the plans of a new owner. The reality, of course, is that new owners often come in with new plans.

The Cambridge once neighboured the long-derelict The Store, drawing crowds into the city's west with promise of rock shows and all the excitement they entail. But a quick glance at the city's west now shows there is little need for enticement. The council's rented offices are just a few blocks away, while the transport interchange is visible from the doorstep. Cocktail bars, breweries and even karaoke are a stone's throw from the pub's door.

The University of Newcastle's NuSpace is a little further along that list of landmarks, but is perhaps the most pertinent. The $110 million plan for student housing at the pub site is in some ways a changing of the guard, but a live-in population of hundreds of university students is unlikely to come without a range of opportunities for surrounding traders and landlords.

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Regardless of the site's other appeals, few would be surprised to hear that live music is fighting to survive. This city's live music task force has certainly had its work cut out for it, as have both punters and publicans alike. The number of venues holding gigs in Newcastle was on the decline well before COVID-19 intervened on that particular battlefield, and little has become easier as a result.

What was once the city's fringe is rapidly becoming its beating heart. The raucous energy of live music can also be its downfall when it clashes with neighbours, and there are simply more people living closer to venues than ever before.

These culture changes, such as the fuel depot near apartments in Maryville after years of rising property values and increasing density, are playing out in many ways throughout the city. The Cambridge Hotel site that will draw relief is that it offers proven investors putting forward a project that is within their wheelhouse. Unilodge's accommodations dot Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne among others. The Sydney site, in the shadow of both the University of Technology Sydney and University of Sydney, is undoubtedly a part of the Broadway precinct's fabric.

The project is yet to win approval, but includes strong green credentials that will likely bolster its cause. The additional population it brings is likely to add to the demand for eateries, entertainment and more. While we may mourn nights spent in the front rows of concerts in the area, a new generation is perhaps getting a front-row ticket to the city's changing face - and to help change it.

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