Penrith RSL has unveiled its $35 million stage one expansion that adds a new dining precinct and a large-scale function centre.
Construction began in 2023 and wrapped up in August 2025, increasing the club footprint by 35 per cent.
Penrith RSL CEO Neel Chand said the project was not a renovation, but an entirely new construction designed by Altis Architecture.
“We needed to diversify. We needed to grow the business and expand our food offering. We have a very large buffet that sits 600 people, but we needed to offer more,” he said.
The new food and beverage precinct seats 500 and includes an alfresco dining area, sports lounge, large bar, and a private dining room. Chand said it was designed to complement rather than replace the existing buffet.
“We had a 150-seat bistro, but we needed a much bigger, modern outlet. This space, with its pizza oven and contemporary design, will attract a younger crowd and a broader range of people.”
The second major component of the expansion is a function centre, branded Events at Eight. It seats 450 banquet-style or 750 theatre-style, with a versatile design that allows the main room to be divided into three smaller spaces. Supporting features include a large pre-function area, terrace, bridal suite, and two bars.
Chand said the facility answers a long-standing demand in Western Sydney for large-scale event space.
“We’ve lost so many functions in the past because we didn’t have the capacity. This puts us back in the market to grab those functions in Western Sydney.”
The expansion also included the creation of a modern RSL sub-branch museum. The museum showcases an extensive collection of military memorabilia, much of which had been in storage.
The $35 million expansion also saw a redesigned foyer and entry, and a new street-level tenancy now leased to a dentist on a 15-year agreement.
The project was delivered as a cost-plus contract with Integrated Projects as builder. Chand said that while cost-plus arrangements are often seen as risky, it saved the club around $2.5 million compared to a fixed-price model.
“People think with cost-plus you’ll blow the budget, but we came in slightly under. It worked because of the strong partnership between us, the builder and architects.”
With stage one complete, the club has moved straight into stage two, which includes a full upgrade of its gaming floor and the introduction of 600sqm of street-level tenancies.
“We’re making [the gaming floor] a lot bigger. Everything we did in stage one that will eventually be carried right through to the club,” Chand said.