$100m Macquarie Point development to include accommodation, rooftop bar

A development which includes apartments, accommodation, shops and a rooftop bar and restaurant will be the cornerstone of Hobart’s Macquarie Point. PLANS + PICTURES >>

A $100m development which includes apartments, accommodation, shops and a rooftop bar and restaurant will be the cornerstone of Hobart’s Macquarie Point.

Melbourne company Milieu has been chosen by the state government to develop the area known as The Escarpment, behind the Cenotaph.

The project will create hundreds of construction jobs and about 110 full-time jobs when it is up and running.

It is a major milestone in the development of the 9ha site on the edge of Hobart’s CBD which is regarded as one of Australia’s prime pieces of real estate.

State Development Minister Michael Ferguson said there had been strong local, national, and international interest in the site.

He said the sale of the first land release was drawing closer and described The Escarpment, as an “exciting parcel comprising more than 8,700m2 of prime real estate”.

Residential apartments, retail space and hospitality venues are part of the $100m vision for The Escarpment at Macquarie Point. The plans also feature a green roof with public open space. Source: Supplied.

Residential apartments, retail space and hospitality venues are part of the $100m vision for The Escarpment at Macquarie Point. The plans also feature a green roof with public open space. Source: Supplied.

“Milieu’s $100 million development will incorporate a range of uses, including apartments, and short stay accommodation, retail, and hospitality,” Mr Ferguson said.

“The development will also be widely accessible to the public, including a rooftop bar and restaurant, a green roof with public open space, and provide 24/7 direct access, including disability access, from Macquarie Point through to the Cenotaph.

“Milieu’s development was chosen from a strong calibre of proposed options for the site, with Milieu’s design aligning to the overall vision for Macquarie Point, while acknowledging Tasmania’s Aboriginal history, and important linkages with the Cenotaph.”

The government is hailing the economic benefits to Hobart of the development.

It is expected the project will directly employ 215 FTE, supporting a further 375 FTE during the construction period.

“Importantly, the development will heavily feature local suppliers and employ Tasmanian firms throughout the construction and ongoing operation,” Mr Ferguson said.

The development will also have green credentials and a high energy rating.

He said it would “promote Tasmania’s clean and green image”, with all apartments proposed to be fossil fuel free and “powered entirely by renewable energy”.

State Development Minister Michael Ferguson. Picture: Kenji Sato

Residential apartments, retail space and hospitality venues are part of the $100m vision for The Escarpment at Macquarie Point. The plans also feature a green roof with public open space. Source: Supplied.

“Other sustainability initiatives include a thermal green roof with rooftop solar, electric vehicle and e-bike charging and storage, and smart building design that reduces the building’s overall energy consumption,” he said.

“These initiatives support the development’s strong sustainability credentials with a NatHERS (Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme) star rating of 7.5.”

Mr Ferguson said the government expected Macquarie Point’s second parcel of land for the area known as The District, to enter its competitive process early in the New Year.

“Macquarie Point will deliver a community asset that all Tasmanians will be proud to visit, go to work, or even call home for generations to come” he said.

On its website Milieu says it was founded in 2010 and “works across property development, design, hospitality, events, culture and the arts.

Remediation of the Macquarie Point site began nearly a decade ago after $45m in funding from the federal government.

Over the years, it has been considered as the site for a new Hobart hospital an eco-tourism development while the Museum of Old and New Art planned a $2bn Truth and Reconciliation Art Park and Aboriginal history centre.

It also was the venue for parts of the Dark Mofo winter festival.