Singaporean company Fragrance Group has put forward another hotel proposal for Macquarie St in Hobart
The Fragrance Group’s development application for a nine-storey hotel before the Hobart City Council has been made public.
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ALL the details of a new hotel proposed for the Hobart CBD by controversial developers the Fragrance Group can be revealed.
The development application lodged with the Hobart City Council for 179 Macquarie St has been made public today.
The Fragrance Group was revealed as the buyer of the key city site by the Mercury in February.
The Singaporean developers bought the former Macquarie Centre and Myer homewares store for $9.35 million in August last year.
Under the previous owners, there had been a development application approved for the site for a nine-storey, 202-room hotel, ground floor cafe/restaurant, conference facilities and below-ground car park.
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According to planning documents, the design for Fragrance’s new proposed hotel was different enough from the pre-approved DA that it required a new application.
The new hotel has been designed by Scanlan Architects — the same firm that designed Fragrance’s North Hobart mixed development, which was refused by council last year, but is currently in mediation before the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal.
The old homewares building would be demolished and the new hotel would be located next door to the only hotel the company has had approved by council and built in Hobart — the Ibis Styles Hotel.
It would include 206 hotel rooms with conference facilities and guest amenities that includes a restaurant, public garden with “reflection pond”, swimming pool and gym.
It would be nine levels above ground, with two levels of basement carparking with 60 car bays.
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The facade of the proposed hotel features a sandstone-cladded podium that sits above the entrance driveway and lobby.
“The eclectic selection of facade materials and forms manifests itself in the Hobart CBD area of the 21st century that essentially embraces local tradition, modernity and diversity,” planning documents state.
“This DA application is consistent with the previous approval in respect to the number of levels. The new design has attempted to be even more respectful for the existing heritage building by reducing the proposed building’s mass from level three upwards. As a result of that, it is perceived that the overall relationship between the current proposal and the adjoining heritage architecture has been significantly improved.”
On the other side of the site is the heritage-listed former Christ College/Hutchins School, which is home to the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
“Respecting the adjoining heritage buildings is one of the paramount planning principles that both council and the owner wish to adhere to,” planning documents state.
“A landscaped garden has been introduced at the south west corner of the proposal, acting as a buffer zone between the historical site and the proposed new structure.”
The Fragrance Group’s previous hotel proposals have caused considerable controversy and prompted discussions about the desired future direction for Hobart buildings.
They have proposed a 424-room, 126m-high hotel on the Hobart waterfront — although that plan has been shelved.
The company also applied to build 12- and 13-storey towers in Elizabeth St, North Hobart, one housing a 214-room hotel and the other 91 apartments. Three levels of underground parking for nearly 200 cars is also included, along with a restaurant and function rooms.
Fragrance also lodged an application for a $60 million, 256-room hotel with an 800-seat conference room in Collins St, but this was refused by the Hobart City Council in January.
Parties have until June 28 to make a representation for or against the Macquarie St project.
A report will then be prepared for the council to consider and vote on.
Fragrance has been contacted for comment.
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