The Launceston Chamber of Commerce welcomed news of the sale of the Birchalls car park and reaffirmed its support for the Creative Precinct proposed by the buyer Creative Property Holdings (CPH).
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The Examiner revealed on Monday that CPH had paid a $1 million deposit for the $20 million purchase of the car park, officially known as the Paterson Street Central car park, from owner Don Allen of Car Parks Super Pty Ltd.
Chamber executive officer Will Cassidy said the organisation always favoured the $90 million precinct proposal over Mr Allen's $60 million retail and parking development.
"The Chamber supported the proposal originally put forward by Creative Property Holdings as it aligned strongly with our vision for the city in terms of capital investment, education and creativity, improved transport infrastructure, urban greening and placemaking," he said.
He said the organisation said the CPH proposal for the site incorporated a bus interchange station for the relocation of the St John Street bus stops.
"This would have benefited public transport users by offering a more comfortable, undercover area while waiting for buses," Mr Cassidy said.
"It would have also opened up St John Street for improvement and to make it a better environment for local retail and hospitality businesses."
Mr Cassidy said the proposed development by Creative Property Holdings would have provided world-class educational amenities and student accommodation to local, intrastate, interstate, and international students.
"Accommodation for students in the heart of the city is crucial for the vibrancy of our CBD and our educational offerings to the world," he said.
"The proposed development by Car Parks Super was a development for 'now', not the future. While the proposal included capacity for modifications to the car park levels at a later time, modern cities looking to the future aren't building new multi-storey car parks in their CBDs.
"The Launceston Chamber of Commerce is excited about the future of the Paterson Street Central Carpark. We hope the sale of the site will lead to the development of a Creative Industries Education Precinct incorporating a new location for the St John Street bus stops," he said.
Mr Cassidy's statement came after Mr Allen criticised the Chamber and the City of Launceston council for lack of support.
Mr Allen said he was disappointed that the Chamber actively opposed his locally funded development in favour of an out -of town developer and financier.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
