Marysville Hotel and Conference Centre Project
Project Synopsis and Progress To Date
The Marysville Hotel and Conference Centre was identified as one of 8 catalyst projects that could assist in the regeneration of Marysville by providing a stimulus to its economic recovery in the ‘Marysville & Triangle Urban Design Framework’ Report (Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority and Murrindindi Shire Council, November 2009). Significant progress has been made in the social and environmental recovery of local communities after the devastating 2009 bushfires but the economic recovery has been slower.
“The Marysville and Triangle Economic Recovery Strategy” (Boston Consulting Group Report 2009 and subsequent progress report March 2011) identifies the importance of tourism to the economy of the region and validates that the future of the local community depends on a tourism-led recovery.
In late 2010, the Victorian Government committed up to $19 million to facilitate the establishment of a new Hotel and Conference Centre in Marysville in partnership with the private sector (“the Project”).
In early 2011, Regional Development Victoria (RDV) was tasked with delivery of the Project. In seeking a preferred developer and operator to develop and operate the proposed Hotel and Conference Centre, the following tasks have been completed through 2011:
- Acquisition of the land for the Project located at 32, 34 and 42 Murchison Street, Marysville (sites of the former Cumberland Guest House and Keppels Hotel)
- Appointment of Ernst & Young and CB Richard Ellis Hotels as RDV’s Project partners for the Market Campaign process (the process to identify potential bidders to develop the Project).
- Facilitation, in partnership with Murrindindi Shire Council, of the Minister for Planning becoming the responsible authority for administering and enforcing the Murrindindi Planning Scheme as it relates to the subject site.
- Agreement with Murrindindi Shire Council on a Community Engagement Framework to ensure that the views of the community are captured as part of the Project planning and design process.
- Completion, in late 2010, of the first stage of the Market Campaign to identify potential interested developers for the Project. This Expression of Interest phase led to four parties being shortlisted to participate in the final stage of the bid process.
- Preparation of documentation for the second (and final) stage of the Market Campaign - the detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) phase – which is expected be released to the four shortlisted parties in early March 2012.
