Bondi boot factory restoration kicks on, with completion months away

By PATRICK MCKENZIE

Restoration of the Spring Street boot factory building in Bondi has reached its one-year milestone, leaving only a few months until its completion.

Following a successful development application in May 2020, works commenced in April 2021 in partnership with head contractor Lloyd Group.

“Our Community Strategic Plan notes the community’s wish for Waverley to be a ‘knowledge-driven, innovative and digitally connected community,’ and the Boot Factory helps fulfil this by providing opportunities to support innovation and ensure we keep pace with the knowledge economy,” Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said.

“The Boot Factory’s Innovation and Knowledge Hub will be a place to nurture ideas to further transform Waverley into a ‘smart city’ of the future.”

Bondi boot factory restoration comes after three failed attempts

The factory, which sits at the rear of Norman Lee Place at 27-33 Spring Street, was completed in 1892 by William Sidaway and Son and was last restored in 1986.

Subsequent attempts at restoration in 1995, 2007 and 2008 failed and, in 2013, council undertook significant remedial structural works to ensure the stability of the building until an alternate use could be found.

The renovations include increased accessibility measures, upgrades to Norman Lee Place, a café at the Spring Street entry to the precinct with street and courtyard presence and upgrades to the flexible community spaces on the ground and top floor of the Boot Factory and the Mill Hill Community Centre.

Under council’s 2020-21 Operational Plan, the boot factory will fulfil a strategy to “create innovative spaces for business incubation and knowledge transfer”. 

In that plan, the project was allocated $1.97 million of capital works funding from a $55.9 million budget.

The greatest sources of funding include grants, investment strategy reserve funds and council general revenue.