Yes. The former Manning Library in Perth became a Dôme Café after the City of South Perth chose reuse over demolition. The café opened in November 2024, turning the former library into a hospitality venue with details that recall its past.
What happened to the old Manning Library?
The Walter Murdoch Library’s Manning branch operated on Manning Road from 1964 until it closed in 2017. A new Manning Library opened at Manning Community Hub, leaving the former branch building vacant.
After considering what to do with the site, the City of South Perth decided against demolition. In October 2022, Council authorized a conditional lease to Be Our Guest Holdings Pty Ltd for a community-centre use that included a kiosk and kitchen. The authorization provided for an initial 21-year lease, with a possible 21-year extension subject to approval.
That proposal advanced: the City’s 2023–24 annual report says the development application was approved and construction began in mid-2024. On 22 November 2024, the City announced that the Dôme Café had opened. The City described the completed project as a restored building, with its original façade and black-and-white wallpaper depicting the building’s earlier life as a library.
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What were the reported costs and lease terms?
PerthNow reported in 2023 that the City had decided to buy the site from the State Government for $408,000, allowing it to deal directly with a lessee. The same report described a proposed $3.5 million refurbishment and a stepped rent schedule.
| Proposal-era figure | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Site purchase | $408,000, reported by PerthNow in 2023 as the City’s purchase price. |
| Refurbishment | $3.5 million, reported by PerthNow in 2023 as the expected cost. |
| Years 1–13 | $1 per annum, according to PerthNow’s 2023 account of the proposed rent schedule. |
| Year 14 | $10,000, according to the same proposal-era report. |
| Years 15–21 | An annual increase of $5,000, according to the same proposal-era report. |
| Lease framework | 21 years, with a possible further 21 years subject to approval, as recorded in the Council authorization. |
These figures describe what was reported or authorized at the proposal stage, not verified final contract terms. The available records do not include the executed lease, so they do not establish the final rent schedule or whether the possible extension was granted.
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How the café fits into the wider precinct
The café is part of activity around George Burnett Park, not a replacement for the park’s public facilities. In a February 2025 update, the City described the recently opened café as one element of the wider precinct revitalisation, alongside public recreation improvements. That announcement does not establish any operational or commercial affiliation between the café and the park’s bike track.
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