Park View Apartments will transform the Australia Park Motel on Wodonga Place into 16 units of between one and four bedrooms.

Selling agent Geoff Stean, director of Stean Nicholls Real Estate, said the multi-million-dollar development received 70 inquiries just through signage on the existing building and word of mouth.

The site looks across parkland and lies within walking distance of Albury’s central business district.

Mr Stean said the whole estate would also be enclosed with gate entry while the 16-metre long garages allowed residents to store their cars, caravans, boats and trailers securely.

“Because it has been previously a motel, there was just all this car parking at the back,” he said. “Some people are nomads but this gives the nomads a bit of an option of being both, having an apartment.”

The design sought to link in with the idea of the Border being a base for tourism.

“A lot of people don’t see coming to Albury-Wodonga as a tourist attraction itself but they see it as a really good hub to come and stay and then go out to all the tourist attractions from here, be it the snow or wherever,” Mr Stean said. “And Albury-Wodonga has a great mix of accommodation, medical facilities, restaurants, clubs.” 

He felt the gated nature and design of Park View Apartments offered more scope to develop a community than other central city housing projects.

Builders to undertake the motel’s refurbishment are being selected, with construction expected to be finished in December or January.

Mr Stean said there had been no need to demolish the motel.

“It’s an extremely well-built structure,” he said. 

“It’s a double brick construction with excellent sound-proofing qualities.”

But the required changes would still be extensive.

“It’s completely remodelled, completely re-rendered,” Mr Stean said.

“It’s a complete makeover.

“They’re just using the basic shell of the building and then they’re restyling the whole thing.” 

The apartments will feature open-plan living, 600x600mm floor tiles and LED lighting.

In the kitchen will be caesarstone benches, pendant lighting and European appliances.

Mr Stean said pricing for the strata development would start from $475,000 and plan modifications could be discussed during the development stage.