The silos on the city side of the Mersey River. Picture: PAUL SCAMBLER
RELOCATING the Spirit of Tasmania terminal to the city side of Devonport's Mersey River and turning the unused grain silos into a seven-storey hotel is part of a proposal to be put to the Devonport City Council this week.
The plan, developed by Shayne Allison, of Port Sorell, with the help of Launceston architect Les Penzes, will go to a closed council workshop on Wednesday night.
The plan also includes:
--A rooftop restaurant on the hotel.
--A three-storey undercover car park.
--Reintroducing a passenger train on the existing train line.
--A promenade along the waterfront and building riverfront cafes and restaurant.
--Introducing a local produce market and artist studio in the restored heritage-listed wharf building.
Mr Allison said he was only after support from the council at the workshop so he could take the project to the next level.
``I'd like to see it linked in with the Living City Plan [announced by the council this week] and then get the politicians on board and various stakeholders,'' he said.
``There's money out there for developments, it's just getting the support in the first place, that's the hard thing.''
The grain silos went up for tender last May and are used for storage.
Mr Allison said he had put in an application for the tender, but was yet to hear anything.
Devonport Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Steve Bramich said the proposal would go hand in hand with the Living City project and was keen to see the region develop.
``It's a positive thing in terms of giving Devonport a defined future direction,'' Mr Bramich said.
The Antique Emporium owner John Cole thought the idea was fabulous.
``This area could be the Salamanca of the North,'' he said.
``It could house a Saturday-Sunday market and showcase the ``food bowl'' of the North and the Don River Railway could pull up on the wharf. The possibilities are endless.''