The Canberra Labor Club is proposing to build a 150-room hotel in Belconnen at a cost of $35 million.
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The 11-storey four-star hotel would have three levels of podium parking with about 120 car spaces. Purdon and Associates director Robert Purden, who has presented the plans on behalf of the Canberra Labor Club, said there was demand for a hotel in this location and it would diversify the club’s business.
“It’s a statement of confidence … in the local economy of Canberra,’’ Mr Purdon said. “It’s got a minimum construction value of $35 million so it’s not a small corner store by any means.’’
It is slated for the corner of Cameron Avenue and Chandler Street and will require the demolition of existing buildings. Once approved it is an estimated to take 18 months to build.
Mr Purdon said tenants would be informed about the plans in coming weeks. Two existing blocks owned by the club would need to be consolidated for the development to proceed.
“What we’re talking about here is an exceedingly modest 11-storey building,’’ Mr Purdon said.
The proposal is in contrast to the initial 35-storey Geocon development in the Belconnen town centre that staggered some community members. That development has been revised down to a 26-storey building that is 32m lower than the original 112m proposal.
During a pre-development application consultation Mr Purdon said the club’s proposed hotel would be something the community could support.
An operator for the hotel has not been finalised. Mr Purdon said a development application could be lodged by the end of the year but no firm date had been set. The hotel development is one of six major high-rise proposals either planned, under construction or recently completed in the Belconnen CBD.