Bid for Lismore's biggest commercial development in a decade

AN application for the biggest commercial development Lismore has seen in least a decade has been recommended for approval by Lismore City Council staff.

An artist's impression of the $6.8m building planned for Molesworth Street.

AN application for the biggest commercial development Lismore has seen in least a decade has been recommended for approval by Lismore City Council staff.

Newton Denny Chapelle consultancy applied for a four-storey, 16m high office block to be built at 214 Molesworth St, Lismore, at a cost of $6.8 million, according to a council report.

The development is due to go to the council for a decision tomorrow night and a report from council staff recommends it be approved*.

The 4133sq m building, which is aimed at accommodating government agencies or other sought after tenants, will include 52 car spaces on its first level, as well as a cafe.

The Molesworth St block has been vacant for 50 years after The Vanity Theatre (previously the Federal Theatre and The Federalette) was destroyed by fire in 1964.

"It has been more than 10 years since a commercial development of this scale has been proposed for the CBD, and it is considered an important development for the future of Lismore's CBD," the report states.

An artist's imppression showing the view of the proposed building from Carrington Street.

"The proposal has been designed to create a high quality commercial building with the aim to attract government and other A-class tenants.

"In this regard, a significant feature of the proposed building is its architectural and environmentally sustainable design."

A Voluntary planning agreement was entered into by the applicant to construct a 22-space car park on council-owned land at the corner of Victoria St and Market St, Lismore.

The report paints a positive picture of the building's impact on the Lismore CBD.

"The development is considered to provide significant public benefits in that it provides high quality office space to a standard that is currently not available in the CBD," the report states.

"The development provides an architecturally-designed building on a long term vacant CBD allotment that due to its use and poor state of repair has for many years had negative visual impact upon the surrounding CBD area ..."

If the development is approved, construction will only be allowed from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

* An earlier version of this report incorrectly said the development had already been approved.