A new $74 million mixed-use office building could soon be built in the heart of Hobart’s CBD.

Plans for the eight-storey development on Bathurst Street have been submitted to Hobart City Council by Hanging Garden Group, part-owned by MONA owner David Walsh.

The complex includes several floors of office space, a ground floor lobby with retail space and 16 parking spaces in the basement.

Previous development for the site, proposed in October 2022, included an 11-storey building with underground parking and office rentals across nine floors.

It was withdrawn before it could be evaluated.

The substance of the proposed building is a combination of colored concrete effect cladding, textured concrete with natural finishes, glass and charcoal colored aluminum grilles and mullions.

“The proposal is for office use in a location that is well connected to the service functions of the central business district,” the application document states.

“This proposal will reactivate valuable land in the CBD by replacing car parks and underutilized/idle premises with modern office space.”

The report notes that the development will provide a “critical mass” of office tenants to support nearby local businesses.

It also offers retail or hospitality opportunities at Bathurst and Wathorn streets to activate the street frontage.

“The proposed building has a character that interacts positively with the developing area and the use of which will support and enhance the core activity center by diversifying the range of activities provided in the CBD,” the document states.

Hobart City Council recently approved plans in July for a new 12-storey office building on nearby Liverpool Street, which will help revitalize the outskirts of the CBD.

Across the road at 125 Bathurst Street, plans for a 10-storey, 68-room hotel were approved in 2021, but the site was reportedly put up for sale months later without construction ever starting.

Feedback on the plans is open until November 5th.