A CITY of Coffs Harbour-owned site in the City Centre is to be put forward to the NSW Government as the potential site for a $55.1m, 6,900 square metre Workplace Hub for state government staff.

The site had previously been proposed and withdrawn by City of Coffs Harbour in an Expression of Interest (EOI) process, but has been reinstated on the grounds that it represents an opportunity to boost the local economy and help activate the City Centre.

“The proposed Workplace Hub will consolidate up to 26 existing NSW Government offices and bring around 643 regional public servants into the City Centre,” said Steve Bayliss, City of Coffs Harbour Director Business Services.

“The sale of the site at market value and the ongoing presence of such a large workforce into the CBD represents a potentially very significant economic boost for the City Centre and the wider region.”

The EOI contains the condition that ‘public car parking commensurate with the existing parking allocation was included in any redevelopment of the site’.

Any further action or decision to progress beyond the EOI stage will be subject to further reports to Council.