Part owner John Cassidy said the bistro was a priority and tipped work to start by the end of the month.

Armidale Dumaresq Council has just approved all plans for the building’s overhaul.

Along with building the bistro at the hotel’s rear, the builders will also install new windows and doors at the side of Tatts facing the laneway between the Mall and Cinders Lane.

Renovation of the sports bar and painting the facade will also happen under phase one of the revamp, Mr Cassidy said yesterday.

“Renovations must be staged, in line with what is happening in the local economy,” Mr Cassidy said.

“The drought is really biting and there are less students on campus, all of which impact on the local economy and have a bearing on roll-out of the renovations.” 

Plans to upgrade the hotel date to 2008, with two amendments submitted last year and earlier this year.

Armidale’s acting Director Sustainable Planning and Living Karl Bock said these had been approved.

In the longer term, Mr Cassidy said the hotel would provide four-star accommodation with 37 rooms with ensuites. 

He also wanted to renovate the governor’s suite on the second floor of the building, although little of the original furnishings remained. 

The hotel, a centrepiece of the Mall, has languished since 1996, when the then UNE Union paid $900,000 for the building.

The hotel’s sale was put to tender when UNE Union was consumed by UNE Services.

It was bought for $2.65 million in 2006 by Armpub, of which Mr Cassidy is a director.

Initial development plans included an outdoor, licenced restaurant for 60 patrons in the Mall.

But this was scaled back after police objections to seat 54 people.