Ahead of next Tuesday’s Council meeting, Member for Manly, James Griffin MP is calling on all Northern Beaches councillors to back the next step in redeveloping Manly Town Hall as a multi-purpose theatre and live entertainment venue by advancing it to the Expression of Interest (EOI) phase.
In July 2025, Council resolved to prepare a report outlining options for inviting expressions of interest for the redevelopment of Manly Town Hall, which currently houses one of Council’s customer service centres.
Now finalised, the report recommends that should Council wish to proceed, the next step would be to undertake an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) process to invite ideas from the market on commercially viable options to deliver a multi-use performance space while maintaining the heritage significance of the building.
Mr Griffin said the EOI process would allow Council to identify a suitable partner to reimagine and operate the venue in line with the community’s wishes, while ensuring the building remains in public ownership.
“Councillors have an opportunity to get the ball rolling and ensure this beautiful historic building, which was once the heart of Manly’s civic life, can once again become a centrepiece of our community,” Mr Griffin said.
“When this concept was first put to community consultation in 2021, the majority of residents supported the idea of converting the Town Hall into a theatre or multi-use entertainment venue.”
“As the report outlines, with the right operator, Council would retain ownership of the building and benefit from a long-term revenue stream while ensuring the heritage character of the building is respected and preserved.”
Mr Griffin said the project could also provide a significant boost to Manly’s local economy and arts scene.
“A vibrant purpose-built performance and exhibition venue in the heart of Manly would attract more visitors to the area and support nearby cafés, restaurants and local retailers.”
“It would also provide an exciting platform to showcase and promote the Northern Beaches’ vibrant arts and cultural scene.”
“I congratulate Council staff for the excellent work that has gone into this report and encourage councillors to adopt its recommendations so that the time and resources already invested are not wasted,” Mr Griffin said.
Elected councillors will vote to proceed with pursuing the redevelopment of the Manly Town Hall at the next ordinary meeting of the Northern Beaches Council on Tuesday,17 March 2026.
MEDIA: Phone: 02 9976 2773, Email: manly@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Images: AI-generated Concepts of Manly Town Hall Redevelopment
Last modified: March 17, 2026
