Hotel tycoon looking to recycle convention centre

A hotel tycoon is hoping to recycle parts of the Sydney Convention Centre and use it in a development in the Hunter Valley.

Jerry Schwartz plans to build a convention centre and distillery at his Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Hunter Valley

The State Government is redeveloping the Sydney convention centre, with demolition work to start after Christmas.

Mr Schwartz says he is in talks with the company carrying out the demolition work to try and save the pylons from the centre.

"To be able dismount the convention centre takes additional time that's the problem, " he said.

"Lend Lease are in such time constraints to finish the new convention centre.

"So the biggest issue is to be able to pull down the pylons and not delay their current program for the redeveloped building."

Mr Schwartz says by using the pylons, the look of the convention centre will continue on.

"So I want to take down of the pylons and have them in their same physical state relocated," he said.

"So that means some of the actually appearance of the Sydney Convention Centre will continue on.

"It was quite a marked architectural design when it was first built and it's a shame to just throw away the past history of Sydney."

Source: ABC News, 4 November 2013