GOOD NEWS! The proposal for a huge, ugly, $40 million development proposed by Doherty Hotels in the Hobart CBD, at 152-156 Collinst St and 34 Murray St, has been dropped.
The original proposal was for a 11-storey, ugly lump of a building, behind Hadleys Hotel which the Doherty family owns, that would have towered over Georgian buildings around it. In January, the Dohertys reduced the height by four storeys. Now, the whole project has been canned.
Last October, (Hobart’s unleavened lumps) I wrote about ugly lumps of buildings which so often disgrace the city in and put an ad in The Mercury decrying this development. I did so after lodging a protest with the Hobart City Council: “As a citizen of Hobart, I object to the proposed development because it appears it would be yet another blot on the horizon, without architectural, historical or aesthetic merit.”
As a result of my official objection, I received a letter yesterday (March 17) from the Hobart City Council’s Development and
Environmental Services acting executive officer, Rachel Rust, on Application No: PLN-05-00918-01: partial demolition, alterations and redevelopment for a shop, restaurant, hotel function rooms and gymnasium, car park, motel, flats or self-contained visitor accommodation and subdivision (boundary adjustment).
Ms Rust wrote: “The applicant advised Council on the 14 March 2006 that the proposal is withdrawn. Accordingly, Council is not required to make a decision on the application.”
Now, it would be wonderful if the developer comes up with a new proposal which enhanced the precinct …
