Melbourne, Australia, is set to get a brand new hotel along the north bank of the Yarra River.
After years of delays, final plans for the Northbank project are in place. Among apartments and an events venue, developer Riverlee has proposed building a 180-room hotel from what was once a wharf and goods shed at the western end of the precinct. The company, which is owned by Malaysian-Australian businessman Clement Lee, also redeveloped the adjacent World Trade Centre and WTC Wharf sites.
In total, the full development is slated to cost $300 million and will provide a “missing link” between the north bank and Docklands.
The site, behind the historic Mission to Seafarers building, was purchased from the state government last year.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle praised the project. “It’s great to see the north bank catching up to the south bank and becoming a really vibrant part of the city,” he said. “It’s been very shortsighted to turn our backs on our river.”
The state Planning Department will now start considering the Northbank blueprint.