Renewal of the centrepiece building on one of Australia’s best-loved places enters its next phase today.

Northern Beaches Council has called for expressions of interest for the design of the Manly Life Saving Club building and surrounding community facilities.

The construction of the new building and public amenities, with a budget of $15 million, will accommodate one of the oldest surf clubs in Australia.

Manly Life Saving Club was established in 1903, with the current building built in 1982.

Mayor Michael Regan, who is also Club Patron, said people love world-famous Manly Beach with its fabulous surf, white sands, pine trees, promenade, nearby shops, cafés and restaurants.

“Manly Beach is the biggest, most popular beach on the Northern Beaches in terms of swimmers, surf rescues, first aid events and incident prevention,” Mayor Regan said.

“It’s vital then that the people entrusted with keeping beachgoers safe should have the best facilities and support to let them do their job.

“The 40-year-old clubhouse has done an amazing job but now it is struggling to cope with the growing demand from more beach users.

“Since the clubhouse rebuild was first mooted in 2018, the project has been subject to a robust community consultation process with a dedicated working group, leading to a business case being approved by Council in June 2020.”

The expression of interest (EOI) calls for suitably experienced and qualified design consultancy firms to help Council determine the location and scale of the Manly Life Saving Club building and surrounding community facilities.

The successful design firm will then further liaise with the community and develop the design to the Club’s, community’s and Council’s requirements.

The EOI is available at Northern Beaches Councils E-Tendering portal and is open until  6 July 2021.