Chamber of Commerce Backs Creative Precinct Not Car Park for Launceston

Newsletter item – Launceston Chamber of Commerce, 2 November 2021

Paterson Street Central Car Park

Some call it the Birchalls car park, some call it the Myer car park, but the car park known as the Paterson Street Central Car Park, was at the centre of the news this morning.

If you’re like me, you’ll probably be quite surprised to hear that a multistorey development has been proposed for the Paterson Street Central Car Park by Car Parks Super.

This announcement conflicts with an earlier announcement by Creative Property Holdings of a proposed Creative Precinct and bus interchange on the site.

The Car Parks Super proposal for the site includes:

• Retail tenancies on the ground floor
• Three levels of public car parking. These levels would be adaptable, should the need for car parking be decreased.
• A rooftop level featuring residential apartments

Image: The Examiner.

The Creative Property Holdings proposal, working with the City of Launceston, would see a creative precinct encompassing:

• world-class education in design and technology
• a virtual and augmented reality enterprise
• commercial offices
• student accommodation,
• A bus interchange station which would see the relocation of existing St John Street bus stops and facilitate public and private investment in St John Street.

Image: City of Launceston.

When comparing the two development proposals, we need to weigh up some key issues:

• For the improvement of St John Street, and to make it a better environment for retail and hospitality businesses, it is clear the bus stops must be moved.
• Investment in facilities that will provide world-class educational amenities and student accommodation to local, interstate, and international students is crucial for the vibrancy of our CBD and our educational offerings to the world.
• The proposed development by Car Parks Super is worth $60 million, while the Creative Precinct will see an invest of $80 million.
• The investment by Creative Property Holdings may see the unlocking of investments in other areas of the city.
• The development by Creative Property Holdings will drive economic growth and liveability of the city. It will create employment, drive investment and see population growth.
• The proposed development by Car Parks Super is a development for ‘now’, and while the levels of car parks within their proposal could be modified at a later time, modern cities looking to the future aren’t building new multi-storey car parks in their CBDs.

The Chamber supports the development proposal from Creative Property Holdings, it aligns strongly with our vision for the city in terms of capital investment, education and creativity, improved transport infrastructure and urban greening and placemaking.