Macquarie St new tourist mecca as developers pounce on Myer site

MACQUARIE St is set to become Hobart’s hot new hotel precinct.

Proposed $40 million hotel complex for 179 Macquarie St, Hobart

MACQUARIE St will become Hobart’s new hotel precinct, says the architect of the city’s latest proposed accommodation development.

The Mercury can reveal Ressen Property Group, based in Sydney, has submitted a development application to the Hobart City Council for a $40 million hotel, cafe, restaurant, retail and conference complex on the site of the current Myer homewares store.

The site will become vacant in November when Myer moves into the ICON Complex in Murray St.

HOTELS ON THE GO * A 187-room, $45 million Crowne Plaza hotel to be built in the Liverpool St ICON Complex by InterContinental Hotels Group and the Kalis Group is expected to be open by October 2017. * A 15-storey 4.5-star hotel complex opposite the Royal Hobart Hospital on Argyle St with 115 rooms in the CBD by Raadas Property has been approved. Value unknown. * Singaporean developers Fragrance Group’s $35 million 296-room hotel in Macquarie St will be Tasmania’s largest hotel. Early works began in April. * MAC1 luxury 4.5-star hotel with 113 rooms on the waterfront by Federal Group worth $35 million is due to be complete by the middle of next year.

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Should the proposal receive council approval, it will be the fifth significant accommodation development to go ahead in the CBD and waterfront area in the past two years — adding almost 1000 more rooms to city’s room shortage.

Architect Michael Cooper said Ressen was close to signing on an operator for the 225-room apartment-style accommodation.

“I believe they are a multi-national group ... very interested in coming to Tasmania and talks are getting to the very pointy end in relation to signing them up,” he said.

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Spread across three separate buildings, the complex would also incorporate a rooftop restaurant and bar, ground floor cafe, retail space, parking and an outdoor plaza.

It would be located directly next to an already approved hotel development by Singaporean company Fragrance.

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'We’ve got the demand now and ... it’s encouraging investors to come forward and expedite their plans.' - Tourism Industry of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin

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On the same corner was the recently rebranded Travelodge, potentially creating a cluster of hotel developments, Mr Cooper said.

“It’s on the cusp of the CBD and generally speaking hotels do well in that sort of location,” he said.

“The rooftop restaurant will give great views down to the harbour from that height and will be a nice addition to the city.”

The Ressen Property Group has previously completed land subdivision projects in New Town, Kingston, Montrose and Sorell.

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Tourism Industry of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin welcomed the news and said the hotel shortage in Hobart became an issue in 2012.

“A lot of cities have gone through various stages of hotel development booms and I think we’re at the back end of it,” he said.

“We’ve got the demand now and we know these properties are very much needed and it’s encouraging investors to come forward and expedite their plans.”