The Cedar Mill Group has bought a 105-acre estate in Pokolbin, with its sights set on a purpose-built outdoor amphitheatre and 110-bed hotel.
Cedar Mill Hunter Valley is the new development and event space proposed by Winarch Capital’s newly formed property development firm Cedar Mill Group.
The Hunter Valley property sits adjacent to the Roche Estate food and beverage precinct and next to the Hope Estate winery.
The vision for the site is to house a hotel, specialist food and beverages, a wine museum, multiple cellar doors and a 22,000-person concert venue.
Plans also include a venue capable of hosting events, conferences and functions. Developers aim to attract tourists seeking high-end visitor experiences like boutique goods, dining, winemaking, distilling and brewing.
According to the REMPLAN economic modelling, the $107M proposed project will bring 68,045 additional visitors to the region, and inject an additional $33M each year.
It accompanies the previously announced $235M redevelopment of Morisset Golf Course, to be known as Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie.
“Cedar Mill Hunter Valley and Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie are purpose-built, the first in Australia on this scale,” Cedar Mill Group General Manager Kyle McKendry said.
“Our aim is to provide an unparalleled visitor experience in the heart of the region, offering a gateway for tourists to connect with everything that makes the Hunter Valley a world-class visitor destination and event hub.”
Winarch Capital CEO Paul Lambess said the plans for Cedar Mill Hunter Valley were ambitious but would bolster the local economy and the events and tourism sectors.
“We want to create a precinct with great places where visitors can do lots of different activities and experiences,” Lambess said.
“This is why people come to the Hunter, and we want our venue to complement the great vineyards, restaurants and experiences that already exist here.”
Development plans for Cedar Mill Hunter Valley will be lodged soon and construction phases have been projected to create over 500 new jobs and inject $207.5M through build costs, job creation, supply chain and consumption.
Cedar Mill Hunter Valley is expected to open in 2023.
Information source: Media release, Winarch Capital