Petition to help save the Paragon in Katoomba

The 102-year-old building, which is on the state heritage register and is also listed by Blue Mountains council, closed in May 2018 after a dispute between the owner and the tenant over maintenance.

A planning panel approved a $360,000 repair and restoration development application in July 2020 but work has not yet started.

The development application outlined work to replace damaged door frames, floorboards and decorative panels, to repair the stormwater drainage system and the roof to prevent further leaks.

The kitchen, cool room and pantry will also be stripped to allow for repairs.

Friends of the Paragon have now started a petition, calling on the state government to use powers under the Heritage Act to ensure that the property is properly maintained and protected.

The petition, which has received more than 2,000 signatures, said immediate action was needed to restore the building to preserve its significant heritage-listed interiors.

It adds that the cafe has "has historical and cultural significance and holds special memories for the Greek community and the great many who have worked in it, visited it, or enjoyed its hospitality over the 102 years that it operated prior to closing in May 2018".

The petition can be found at change.org (search for 'The Paragon in Katoomba is in peril').

The building's owner, Sydney solicitor John Landerer, told the Gazette: "We expect to start work on the Paragon in August of this year."