North Hobart Neighbourhood Plan: Condell Place car park could be used for housing, public open space

The populations of North Hobart, Glebe, and Queens Domain are set to skyrocket over the next two decades - and an unlikely site could be the key to accommodating some of this future growth.

Condell Place car park at North Hobart is the site of a proposed new social and affordable housing complex.

A plan to convert sections of North Hobart’s biggest car park to public open space appears to have community backing, according to a survey undertaken by the local council.

The Hobart City Council’s draft North Hobart Neighbourhood Plan, which is designed to guide development of the suburb over the next 20 years, proposes new social and affordable housing for the Condell Place car park site, as well as public space and greening initiatives.

The draft plan envisages increased medium-density housing and mixed-use development in the suburb.

An underground car park would be built as part of any future development at Condell Place.

There are currently 83 carparking spaces in the existing car park but the council wants to make North Hobart more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists and has flagged the potential removal of some parking spaces in the area.

The study area discussed in the draft plan is bounded by Burnett St to the south, Archer St and Boa Vista Rd to the north, Mortimer Ave to the west, and the Brooker Hwy to the east.

By 2041, the populations of North Hobart, Glebe and Queens Domain are projected to grow by 64 per cent, prompting the council to plan for an additional 880 dwellings in North Hobart.

North Hobart shopping and cafe strip in Elizabeth Street.

A council survey conducted between July 16 and August 31 attracted 107 responses and found that 60 participants supported public open space at Condell Place, 43 supported public carparking on the lower ground level of any future development, 39 backed a community centre at the site, and 30 wanted to see affordable housing.

Of those who completed the survey, 50 per cent lived in North Hobart and 83 per cent said they spent time in the area for leisure.

The council’s engagement report produced in the wake of the consultation said the draft plan identified a need for more public open space in the suburb.

“There are other areas nearby that are proposed to provide a larger area of public open space in the future including an area surrounding the Providence Valley Rivulet, approximately 100m from the Condell Place car park,” the report said.

The North Hobart Traders Association has pushed back against the plans for Condell Place and proposals to reduce carparking.

“For 17 years we have asked for the Condell [Place] car park to be redesigned to increase parking. [The council is] now proposing to put the car park underground (less safe for patrons), no long-term parking for staff, but more green space and housing,” the group said in a public submission.

The Bicycle Network, meanwhile, has welcomed a move to lower the speed limit on the shopping strip to 30km/h but says it doesn’t go far enough and that a separated bike lane is needed on that part of Elizabeth St.

Originally published as North Hobart Neighbourhood Plan: Condell Place car park could be used for housing, public open space