A development that will transform a site once home to a car showroom into 56 luxury apartments and retail space has been approved by the Hobart City Council.
The $24 million project on the corner of Macquarie and Barrack streets was given the green light by councillors at a meeting on Wednesday night.
The former Holden showroom will be demolished to make way for the six-storey building and 61 underground car parking spaces, along with various cycling and rubbish facilities for residents.
“We have a housing crisis in Hobart and these are the types of developments we need,” Councillor Ryan Posselt said.
“This is a really great development … I think it’s quite an appealing and attractive building and I think that [being] sited on Macquarie Street, being the very, very busy street that it is, just up the road from two brand new hotels of even larger size, I think it’s appropriate.”
Posselt made a plea to other developers considering building in Hobart, following previous claims that the City of Hobart was ‘anti-development’.
“This is really good for Hobart … It demonstrates that Hobart Council is open for business,” he said.
“Please come here, please put in your development applications. We want to see these types of developments come before this committee for assessment.”
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the approval was another indicator of the council’s positive approach to urban development.
“Since 1 April 2023, the City of Hobart has processed 679 planning applications, refusing only 12,” she said.
“Hobart embraces innovation while honouring its heritage, setting the stage for a dynamic future where community and commerce can work together.”
