Riverlee, MONA plan to demolish print shop to make way for expansion of The Hanging Garden
One of Hobart’s major cultural precincts would be expanded to a whole city block under a new plan that would see a notable CBD building demolished. PLANS + DETAILS >>
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PLANS are in place to demolish a longstanding Hobart CBD print shop to make way for a cultural precinct’s expansion.
Before the Hobart City Council is a permit application for the demolition of existing buildings at the corner of Bathurst and Watchorn streets where the Fuji Xerox printing business operated for 30 years before moving to Brisbane St in early 2020.
The demolition plans by Riverlee – one of the companies behind the Hanging Garden precinct – are to allow for the construction of an office building that would “become a key component of our overall Masterplan for The Hanging Gardens precinct”.
The Hanging Garden precinct is a joint venture between Riverlee and MONA subsidiary Darklab.
An environmental assessment of the property by GES Geo Environmental Solutions found it was likely that abandoned underground petroleum storage systems infrastructure is present on the site which housed a service station in the 1960s.
The assessment noted decommissioning and removal of underground infrastructure would be required in accordance with the relevant regulations as part of demolition works.
In the 1990s the Environmental Protection Authority received inquiries regarding contaminated groundwater seeping into the basement of the Odeon Theatre on the same block.
Based upon the results of the investigation, GES found the site was suitable for the proposed development with no identified health risk to future site occupants post-construction.
Riverlee declined the Mercury’s request for comment and referred to a statement it made on the development last year.
“With a joint vision to preserve and integrate the essence of Hobart, Riverlee and
DarkLab’s plans for the historic Odeon Theatre precinct site are ever-changing and once
complete, will almost span an entire Hobart city block, totalling 6,834 square metres,” Riverlee said.
“In later stages of the development, Riverlee and DarkLab expect private capital
investment to exceed $200 million, promising significant flow-on effects to the Tasmanian
economy.”
In a letter to HCC from Riverlee’s Allistair Lindsay the company said it envisaged that its demolition application would be followed “ASAP by an application for the actual proposed
building”.
Mr Lindsay told the council, “We are hoping to secure a major tenant for a proposed office building on the corner of Watchorn and Bathurst streets”.
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