A PROPOSAL to build a five-storey hotel in Torquay has drawn public backlash, but the developer says the project will provide as many as 300 jobs and ultimately create a community asset.<\/p>\n
The Surf Coast Shire placed the planning application from Barnes Capital Pty Ltd for the 128-room hotel at 2-4 Geelong Road and 48 Bell Street on public exhibition on last week.<\/p>\n
Referred to as Hotel Indigo in the planning documents, the $60 million hotel \u2013 to be built close to the roundabout at the start of the Great Ocean Road \u2013 is mostly three storeys but is tiered to four and then five storeys at its southern end.<\/p>\n
It would also contain a restaurant, gym, indoor pool, function space, day spa and a roof terrace and bar on the third floor.<\/p>\n
Immediate reaction to Hotel Indigo was largely negative on social media, and independent candidate for South Barwon Damien Cole organised a protest at the site the day after the planning documents became public, which drew about 50 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe design of the building is a really nice design, if it was in Beijing or if it was in Dubai, but a five-storey, 17-metre hotel, to be overhanging one of our main trading streets there, in what is still a pretty small coastal community \u2013 it just doesn\u2019t suit the coastal character of the town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Labor candidate for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman attended the protest and also opposes the application, saying he was \u201coutraged\u201d when he found out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is exactly the sort of development the community doesn\u2019t want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marty Barnes from Barnes Capital said he purchased the site in November 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought something iconic that had views over the golf course and the ocean would be special and really maximise the site.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he consulted closely with the Surf Coast Shire on the proposal, which would create at least 200 jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey (the council) were saying \u2018we\u2019ve got thousands of visitors heading down the Great Ocean Road and not spending any money, get at them!\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Barnes said five storeys was the minimum number to make the hotel viable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could have made it a little bit bigger, but we\u2019ve scaled it back to get bigger rooms and give it more amenity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A PROPOSAL to build a five-storey hotel in Torquay has drawn public backlash, but the developer says the project will provide as many as 300 jobs and ultimately create a community asset. The Surf Coast Shire placed the planning application from Barnes Capital Pty Ltd for the 128-room hotel at 2-4 Geelong Road and 48 […]<\/p>\n