New hotel to be Hobart’s tallest building
by Leon Gettler
Plans are underway for a new $40 million hotel development in central Hobart which, if approved by council, would make it the harbour city’s tallest building.
The building would be 73 metres high at its tallest point, the same height as the Wrest Point Casino tower.
It would tower over Hobart CBD’s tallest building, the Commonwealth building on Collins St at 57 metres. The next tallest is the former AMP building in Elizabeth St at 54 metres.
The hotel, which still has to be named, will offer 196 five-star rooms, a restaurant, rooftop cocktail bar and pool across two towers.
It is primarily designed to attract tourists from South-East Asia and China.
The company behind the proposal is Asian-based company Elizabeth Tasmania Pty Ltd.
The hotel will be located on the site of the former Westpac bank in the Elizabeth St bus mall, right in the middle of the central business zone, which has an approximate height limit of 45 metres..
There are plans to name it the Palace Hotel, after the Palace Theatre originally on the site.
The developers want to have it operational by 2018.
Hobart City Council officers have approved the proposal which has now been sent to the aldermen for final approval.
It goes before the council’s planning committee tomorrow night and then to the council the following Monday.
This latest proposal is in addition to the six major hotel developments already underway in Hobart. The amount of hotel investment going into Hobart now comes out to more than $500 million.
Nonetheless, the number of new infrastructure projects in the city will create debate about preserving Hobart’s unique heritage character.
“It is clear that the development would interrupt some of the more iconic views of Hobart ... and this a somewhat regrettable outcome,” says the council report.
According to an economic impact analysis by SGS Economics and Planning, the development would create 177 fulltime jobs and generate $24 million in construction activity.
14th March 2016
