Parliament Square, Hobart

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Parliament Square
Hobart-parl square illustration.jpg
Artist's impression of the Parliament Square Development
Parliament Square, Hobart
Type Public space
Location Flag of Australia (converted).svg Hobart, Australia
Coordinates 42°53′06″S147°19′49″E / 42.885005°S 147.330181°E / -42.885005; 147.330181
Area7,322 m2 (78,810 sq ft)
Operated byCitta Property Group
StatusUnder construction

Parliament Square is a historic city block, located directly behind the Tasmanian Parliament House in Hobart, Tasmania. It is presently under redevelopment, and upon completion will include Marriot International hotel, seven retail spaces, state government office building [1] [2] and plaza. [3]

Contents

The block is bound by Davey Street to the north, Murray Street to the east, Salamanca Place to the west and Parliament House to the south. The block has an approximate area of 7,322 m2.

History

Parliament Square consists primarily of former government buildings, such as the former St Mary's hospital, the Red Brick Building, the Government Printing Office, Parliamentary annexes, two low-rise public service office buildings (including 10 Murray Street), and the former PABX building, containing the Tasmanian government phone switchboards. Over time, the state government used less of these buildings and by 2018, they were mostly unoccupied.

Redevelopment

In April 2009 the Tasmanian Government shortlisted three proposals for the redevelopment of the area. [4]

The Government announced Citta Property Group as the preferred company to undertake the project. [5] Citta planned to give the area a Federation Square feel with the demolition of the State Offices at 10 Murray Street and the opening up of the Murray Street side. The plan included upgrading and maintaining the older Davey Street facing buildings, as well as building a new seven-storey building facing Salamanca Place. [5] There were also plans for shops, cafes and an amphitheatre with a large screen for public events.

Of the three shortlisted proposals, one design would have retained and retrofitted the modernist building at 10 Murray Street, whilst the two other plans required demolition of the building. [5]

Controversies

The redevelopment has been the topic of several controversies. From the announcement of the project, heritage concerns were raised by a number of groups, including the Art Deco and Modernism Society of Australia [6] and Save 10 Murray, who wished to conserve 10 Murray St, a modernist/brutalist office building, and the art deco Government Printing Office. The Resource and Planning Tribunal ruled that construction must cease in 2010 after a heritage appeal by the group. [7] This was reversed in December 2010, and a Supreme Court appeal was submitted [8] In 2012, the state government attempted to pass a bill that would extraordinarily exempt the project from Tasmania's planning, heritage and appeal laws. The Planning Institute of Tasmania and Tasmanian Greens called for the bill to be immediately dismissed. [9] Further plans to demolish the art deco former Printing Office were overturned in 2012 by the Supreme Court, leading to its integration into hotel projects. [10]

Construction began in 2013, but the site was formally transferred from the Tasmanian state government to CITTA for the price of $8.1 million in 2014. [11] 10 Murray Street was demolished in 2018. [12]

Fire broke out during construction in 2014. [13] In 2016, a case was filed with Equal Opportunity Tasmania about the lack of a disability accessible lift on the north-east entrance to the site. It was dismissed on technically in 2019. [14] From 2013 to 2016, a suit alleging that construction workers on the project had been exposed to asbestos was undergoing. Prosecution was withdrawn in 2016. [15] The revelation that further asbestos rubble had been distributed to two schools for use in construction, led to the call for further regulation and temporary pause on construction work at Glenorchy Primary School. [16]

Planning officers raised concerns about the addition of another story to government office buildings, but the changes were approved by Alderman in 2015. At the time, the hotel was expected to be complete in 2018. [17] Last minute alterations to add an additional floor to the Marriot hotel were approved by Hobart City Council against the advice of planning officers in 2019. [18] In 2019, parts fell from a crane during construction and narrowly missed a construction worker. [19]

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References

  1. ↑ "Pine tree tops off Square milestone". www.themercury.com.au. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Salamanca Building | Citta Property Group" . Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  3. ↑ Jarvie, Emily (17 February 2020). "Parliament Square project nearing completion". The Examiner.
  4. ↑ Mercury News [ dead link ]
  5. 1 2 3 Mercury News [ dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Parliament Square, Hobart (Winter 2010)". Art Deco and Modernism Society of Australia. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Save 10 Murray win". Tasmanian Times.
  8. ↑ "Save 10 Murray take it to the Supreme Court". Tasmanian Times. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Planners blast fast-track for city square". www.abc.net.au. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  10. ↑ WAHLQUIST, CALLA (24 September 2012). "Court overturns planning decision again". The Examiner.
  11. ↑ "Hobart's Parliament Square project gets green light after delays". www.abc.net.au. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Hobart's brutalist-style office block taken apart, floor by floor". www.abc.net.au. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Politics heats up with fire at Parliament Square". The Examiner. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  14. ↑ Jarvie, Emily (29 November 2019). "Parliament Square anti-discrimination case dismissed". The Advocate.
  15. ↑ "Asbestos charges against Parliament Square developer dismissed". www.abc.net.au. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  16. ↑ "Call for tighter Tasmanian asbestos regulations". www.abc.net.au. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  17. ↑ "Hobart City Council approves hotel development for Parliament Square". NewsComAu. 7 December 2015.
  18. ↑ "New Parliament Square hotel set for a lift with new floor approved by council committee - realestate.com.au". www.realestate.com.au. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  19. ↑ "Tasmania Now: Worker's lucky escape in crane mishap, Ogilvie meets Labor to discuss future". www.abc.net.au. ABC. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
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