Ringwood accommodation: Maroondah Highway 14-storey Quest hotel proposal near Eastland

Ringwood’s heritage buffs aren’t impressed with plans for another major high rise near Eastland that will break records in the suburb. Here’s what is planned.

An artist's impression of the planned 14-storey Quest Hotel in Ringwood, taken from planning documents.

Heritage lovers have teed off at plans to build a 14-storey high rise in Ringwood - with one saying the suburb has “gone to the dogs”.

Leader last week revealed plans for a $30 million Quest Hotel at 229-231 Maroondah Highway were being assessed by Maroondah Council.

Developer Centreland Group wants to create 80 serviced apartments across two buildings, with only 38 parking spots.

The hotel is the fifth planned for Ringwood’s activity centre and would be double the height of its nearby neighbour, Sage Hotel, which is connected to Eastland shopping centre.

The council has received 22 submissions for the planned project with a planning meeting scheduled on Wednesday, February 24.

Members of the Ringwood and District Historical Society Facebook page were largely unimpressed with the proposal for the 14-storey building.

Nola Schmidt wrote: “Too many already around my area. It’s gone to the dogs. No place for pedestrians any more. Roads too blocked up with people parking there.”

Rose Pepers wrote: “Yuck, yuck and lots more yuck,” while Liz Mierke said: “Give me the Ringwood l grew up in in the 50’ and 60’s. It was a far nicer place to be.

“Don’t start on the ‘ you can’t halt progress’ bs either, because its all about greed and lining of pockets.”

But Al Taylor disagreed, writing: “If people are going to keep having kids; we are going to have to put them somewhere.

Mayor Kylie Spears, who has the hotel in her ward and will be part of this week’s planning meeting, said the framework for the Ringwood activity centre stated that development “should be a higher and more intense scale than its surrounding suburban context.”

“The suitability of the proposed height in this location will be determined as part of the application process, taking into consideration the policy requirements of the planning scheme and the surrounding built form,” she said.

Cr Spears said officers would consider “all relevant matters” for the project following the meeting.

The site is home to a real estate office and a law firm and was sold in December 2018.

The site of the planned Quest Hotel at 229-231 Maroondah Hwy during its sale period. Picture: KIEL EGGING

Centreland Group managing director Peter Wu said the project would “set a new architectural benchmark in the area” and work would begin immediately if approved.

Quest spokesman James Shields said the group wanted to tap into “a growing need for quality accommodation in the area”.

Mr Shields said it looked forward to “ongoing consultation with the council to ensure the outcome is appropriate to the location and the extended stay corporate traveller”.

If approved, Quest’s project would be the fifth hotel planned for the Ringwood activity centre, and the tallest one to date.

The seven-storey Sage Hotel opened in 2017, while the eight-storey Sebel Ringwood, on the corner of Maroondah Highway and Wantirna Rd, is scheduled to open later this month.

A 160-room Holiday Inn is planned for the first six levels of the 16-storey Ringwood Residences project near Ringwood Lake, which is yet to begin construction.

Marriot Hotels is also planning an eight-storey boutique hotel as part of the three-tower East End project near EastLink and The Coach pub.

But the project’s future is unclear after apartment sales in the other two towers, one of which is to reach 19 storeys, were suspended by developer Marshall White.