COFFS Harbour City Council has recommended approval of a proposed $44 million residential and retail highrise development slated for the Coffs CBD area in its assessment report for the approval authority, the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

The development application for the 13-storey highrise will be determined by the Northern Regional Planning Panel due to the development’s high cost of more than $44 million, which sees it classed as ‘Regional Development’.

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The proposed development will be located opposite C.ex Coffs at 15-31 Harbour Drive and involves the construction of a 13-storey tower including ground floor retail, a loading dock and car parking, levels one to three car parking and residential apartments, levels four to twelve residential apartments, 735 sqm of retail space including seven retail premises, 95 residential apartments, 154 car parking spaces, two lifts, communal open space and a six-metre wide pedestrian laneway between Harbour Drive and Vernon Street.

The laneway will be a publicly accessible space which will be open day and night.

The site has dual frontage to Harbour Drive and Vernon Street, and the building will occupy three existing properties including the City Boulevard Arcade and adjoining retail premises.

The site is located within the Coffs Harbour CBD and adjoins a two-storey vacant commercial building (formerly The Kitchen Shop), the Cinema Walk Arcade, Jack Simmons Centre, Harbour Drive and Vernon Street.

The proposed development is also located to the west of the approved twelve-storey Gowings Hotel development located above Coffs Central Shopping Centre.

The development is expected to encourage further redevelopment in the City Centre in response to expected district growth, the Pacific Highway bypass, and City Centre developer incentives for employment generation and residential projects.

In Council’s assessment report, it stated that development was “of high quality comprising retail and residential use”.

“Approval of the application is considered to be in the public interest as it will provide additional housing and business opportunities while ensuring Coffs Harbour’s position as an eminent regional centre,” the report stated.

“The development will increase activity in the area day and night.”

Council’s development assessment report for the project will form part of the Northern Regional Planning Panel’s assessment of the development, which is being undertaken this week.

By Emma DARBIN