GAME CHANGER: $13 million Quest proposal to underpin Lismore

IT'S been described as "critical" to Lismore's future growth and to solidify the city's role as the Northern Rivers regional centre.

GAME CHANGER: The $13 million proposal by Quest proposal is for a three-storey complex featuring 41 serviced apartments, 53 on-site carparks, 24-hour on-site management, a gymnasium and modern guest facilities. Picture: Contributed

UPDATE 10.30am: IT'S been described as "critical" to Lismore's future growth and to solidify the city's role as the Northern Rivers regional centre.

A $13 million serviced apartment block on the corner of Magellan St and Dawson St in the heart of the CBD will meet an unsatisfied demand in the city for serviced apartments, according to Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell.

Last night the council unanimously voted to progress the sale of 2991 square metres of land in the Harold Fredericks Carpark, on the corner of Dawson St and Magellan St, to construction giant FKG Group for the $13 million Quest apartment complex.

The proposal is for a three-storey complex featuring 41 serviced apartments, 53 on-site carparks, 24-hour on-site management, a gymnasium and modern guest facilities.

The council's executive director sustainable development Brent McAlister said the new apartment block would have a huge economic impact on Lismore.

"The term 'game changer' is often overused, but this development would be a genuine game changer for Lismore," Mr McAlister said.

Mayor Dowell said she was "very excited" by the plans. Last year the council commissioned research to check the level of demand for serviced houses and apartments and found there was significant unmet demand.

"An injection of this kind of quality development of this kind in the CBD is much needed, I think it services our legal fraternity, education fraternity and health fraternity," Cr Dowell said.

"Plus its proximity to the CBD will be a big boost for the CBD.

"They're keen to get it up and start building pretty soon.

Cr Dowell said the major concern for the council was ensuring it matched the 100 car parks that would be displaced by the development (it will provide its own parking for guests underground and at the rear).

"Council staff have looked at the surrounds and we believe we can make an additional 101 spaces by reconfiguring parking in Magellan St and Rural St (off Dawson St) and an area off Rural St," she said.

Other potential conditions on the sale will include the preservation of two large fig trees on the site, as well as a requirement that the development be set back from the street a certain distance to maintain visual amenity.

"The development application will still need to come back (to council), and because of the size… it will go to the Joint Regional Planning Panel," Cr Dowell said.

"In that case, councillors will see it and have some input but councillors or council staff will not be approving it."

Quest Serviced Apartments has expressed interest in building a $13 million, 41-unit complex on the corner of Dawson and Magellan Sts, Lismore. Picture: Rebecca Lollback

WEDNESDAY 7.50am: PLANS for a $13 million apartment block in Lismore's CBD are now one step closer, after Lismore City councillors last night voted to sell a council-owned parcel of land to Quest Apartments.

The 41-unit development would be built on a car park on the corner of Dawson and Magellan Sts.

It would result in the loss of more than 100 public car parks.

But Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell told ABC North Coast radio this morning that extra parking would be found in the surrounding area.

"The proposal last night was only about the sale, not about the design of the Quest apartments, but an important part was about the displaced public parking there, and council has been assured by staff that the 100 car parks that are displaced could be reconfigured and made up in the adjoining areas," she said.

"So we are quite confident and council voted accordingly, unanimously, to proceed with that sale."