Developers say the concept for a new high-end hotel in Launceston will be something that will make the city proud.
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The first step in the process took place at the Launceston City Council meeting on Monday, where the partial sale of the Cimitiere Street car park was approved to make way for the development.
Project manager Sam Tucker, of Commercial Project Delivery, said he and his client were now looking forward to delivering an innovative Development Application in the coming months.
“It will be a different hotel, it’s not going to be a carbon copy of anything that is already here and it’s something that everyone who has been close to is very excited about,” he said.
Mr Tucker said more details about the hotel plans could not yet be revealed, but that the architect design process was planned to commence as soon as possible.
He said the design would have between 70 to 80 rooms and that he would be working closely with council officers to ensure what is designed is consistent with the planning scheme.
“We certainly have looked at many sites around Launceston and we were interest in that part of Launceston well before the university move was mooted because we fundamentally believe that that part of Launceston is beautiful,” he said.
“That vision has only been further enhanced by the likely progression of the University of Tasmania development.”
The location of the proposed hotel, opposite Albert Hall and City Park, is currently used as council and commercial car parking and by the Harvest market on Saturday mornings.
Alderman Janie Finlay moved the motion at the council meeting with an amendment, which would see substantially commencement of construction on the land within three years, not five as originally recommended in the agenda.
“A process like this does come risk, and that is why there was an amendment sought here ... subject to this development not going ahead, it is not in the city’s or the region’s best interests for that land to be locked up for so long,” she said.
The reduction of car parking in the CBD was discussed by the Alderman and a member of the public gallery.
“As a council we need to look at our car parking more broadly. We need to be very bold [with] multiple-story car parking solutions,” said Alderman Finlay.