On Christmas Day 2001 it took only a few minutes for a fire storm to destroy many key buildings at the conference centre Stanwell Tops. Residents, guests and fire-fighters were trapped and lucky to have escaped unharmed.
The cost of rebuilding after the storm was estimated at $5 million and 20 months to become a fully operational centre again.
The new look and state of the art centre was officially opened by the Wollongong Lord Mayor Alex Darling on Saturday the 9th of August 2003.