Albury's youth cafe has a firm place in the latest plans for QEll Square, after council floated its relocation to make room for an Uiver museum last year.
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A draft cultural precinct master plan canvasses a $20.3 million redevelopment, including enhanced Dean Street frontage with decking, a plaza and amphitheatre at the entertainment centre, a water feature and a Retro Cafe arbour.
It confirms Retro's position, after negative online feedback about it being shifted.
Youth committees noted the new cafe, built for $1.2 million after it had to be moved once before, was used by 600 youth monthly.
But former youth mayor Andrew Boyd Barber said its activities could happen elsewhere with the cafe being gone opening up opportunities.
"I appreciate that the youth cafe provides a vital service; I championed it when I was the youth mayor," he said.
"(But) the layout of the Retro laneway and the cafe building are not good, there are safety issues baked into the dogleg design.
"I raised these issues before the building was built, but my submission back then was ignored."
Mr Boyd Barber said the master plan had good elements but was "mediocre".
"The master plan is lacking when it comes to the built form for buildings," he said.
"There is minimal critique or guidance on how the existing buildings could be enhanced, moved, expanded or replaced.
"There is no inclusion of built form standards, no height minimums or maximums setbacks.
"These are important things to get right."
Councillor Graham Docksey said it would be a waste to pull down the cafe and Cr Alice Glachan noted council had to move on projects like the entertainment centre rebuild.
"It's unfortunate has to be piecemeal, but the reality is we cannot rebuild an entire square and all of those buildings all in one go," she said.
The draft master plan, which will go out to public comment, also flags redeveloping the ground floor of the NSW government building.
Cr Amanda Cohn successfully moved a motion to include specific built form guidelines for any modifications to existing buildings or new buildings.
"We've received some really well informed and well justified feedback about the need for specific guidelines to guide the buildings on the site," she said.
"You can see in the concept drawings that consultants have drawn a new building where the courthouse is, that has additional entrances and fronts the square.
"The detail is what's missing in terms of actually having those those built form guidelines."
The masterplan will go out for public comment for 28 days, as will the draft 2021/22 Operational Plan, Four Year Delivery Program and Long-Term Financial Plan.
A $159 million budget which includes a $63 million capital works program is included in a draft plans.
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Projects include the upgrades of Albury Skate Park, Melrose Park, Lavington Sports Ground stage three and cycle routes.
The biggest single item in a $11.8 million spend on roads, bridges and footpaths will be the $1.5 million Centaur Road intersection works.
A central focus of the draft operational plan is ensuring Thurgoona-Wirlinga has the resources and facilities it needs to meet its rapid growth rate.
An overall deficit is budgeted for the 2021/22 financial year, mainly due to an increase in non-cash depreciation expense and COVID-19 operational impacts.
