HIGH AMBITION
HOTEL GROUP REACHES FOR SKY
NEW plans for the capital’s first skyscrapers have been lodged with the Hobart City Council.
The Singapore-based Fragrance Group yesterday lodged development applications for a 120m 400-room hotel in Davey St and a 75m, 495-room hotel in Collins St — worth a combined $230 million.
The Collins St development was initially lodged with the council in October, but was withdrawn and reworked after a public backlash.
The concept for the Davey St hotel tower and elevated walkway were released at the same time, but no development appli- cation was made. Instead, the developer sought landowner consent from the council for the walkway across Davey St from Franklin Square. Council rejected the application.
The Fragrance Group’s first hotel — a 39m, 296-room establishment in Macquarie St — is nearing completion.
A fourth project, a mixeduse hotel development planned for Elizabeth St, is in the works with the application expected to be lodged within weeks.
The height and location of the fourth project have not been revealed, but Fragrance’s Davey St and Collins St projects both seem likely to loom over Hobart’s current tallest building, the 73m Wrest Point Casino.
The four developments represent an investment of more than $300 million.
News of the latest development applications came in the same week as architect and urban design consultant Leigh Woolley, an adjunct professor at the University of Tasmania, finalised a report for the council on what areas of the city were suitable for taller buildings.
HCC general manager Nick Heath said he anticipated the council would consider Mr Woolley’s report in June.
If they get council approval, the Davey and Collins street developments will alter the Hobart skyline.
Architect Peter Scott, of X Squared Architects — the company engaged by Fragrance to design and submit the Davey St development application — said the plan had been “refined and developed” since it was first announced by Fragrance head James Koh in October.
That plan included a pedestrian link, or skybridge, between Sullivans Cove and Franklin Square, but was knocked back by the council which refused to give landowner consent.
Mr Scott said at the time that the knock-back was “not detrimental to the hotel but potentially to the city’’.
Public reaction to the original Davey St hotel announcement was swift and most of it unsupportive.
Mr Scott said since then consultation had been held with the community including bus forums where architects showed plans to passengers and explained the proposal. He said the experience was “fascinating”.
“People came from the back to the front of the bus to tell us what they thought,” he said.
Public opinion was “very black and white”.
“Some said ‘just build it’ as they jumped off the bus while others said it was “very undemocratic”.
However, he said many people canvassed didn’t realise there was full public access to the top of the building.
Mr Scott said he recognised that the building went beyond “the expectations of the planning scheme” and envisaged “a complex process” if it were to be considered.
“It’s up to the aldermen to make the decision and they have the discretion to go beyond the planning scheme,’’ he said.
The Singapore-based Elizabeth Tasmania Pty Ltdowned Hyatt Centric in Elizabeth St on the former Westpac Bank site in Elizabeth St was an example where aldermen used their discretionary powers to vote outside the planning scheme, he said.
Spokesman Tony Harrison said Fragrance still saw the crossing over Davey St as an important benefit to Hobart and would likely contribute towards the cost if the council decided to go ahead with it.
Fragrance’s offer of $1 million towards the cost of a skybridge as part of the Collins St proposal remains on the table.
Public presentations of the Davey St development will be held once the development application “goes live”, he said.