The Launceston City Council should be congratulated for approving the sale of land in Cimitiere Street for a hotel development proposal.
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The city has been and still is crying out for more suitable development, as well as more hotel room capacity to attract more tourists and events to our picturesque city.
The council’s alderman approved the sale of part of the car park in Cimitiere Street opposite City Park and the Albert Hall, so that a proposed 80-room hotel can be built on the property.
The land is expected to be sold to Stay Tasmania, which still needs to win development approval for its planned hotel on the site.
Tourism in the region and the rest of the state is booming and we need to be in a position to take advantage of the expected influx.
It is understood the hotel will be rating around the four-star mark, which is one area the city has been scant on in recent years.
The next step forward will of course be to find a developer willing to push into the five-star boutique range to attract the high-end, big spending international tourists that are looking for that extra level of comfort and refinement.
The council’s approval of the sale came at an opportune time.
At the other end of the island in the state’s capital, the Hobart City Council announced that plans had been lodged by Singaporean property developer James Koh for a eye-catching 20-storey hotel for the city’s CBD in Collins Street.
The 495-room development will create an estimated 600 full-time jobs during both construction and ongoing operations and will stand 75 metres high, making it the tallest building in Tasmania.
The billionaire, who owns Waterhouse Island of Bridport, also plans to built a second tower hotel in Davey Street and is now eyeing off sites in Launceston and on the East Coast to continue his push into the state.
This news can only be good for the North and the rest of Tasmania and we must shake off any tag of being anti-progress and be prepared to work with people like Mr Koh for the betterment of our region and our residents.
Tourism may well be the key to our region’s future prosperity.
We must grasp any such opportunity that presents itself with both hands.
