Central Albury commercial-residential development approved by Southern Regional Planning Panel

More than a year ago, the $39 million eight-storey commercial offices and residential project with accompanying five-storey car park on the corner of Smollett and Townsend streets was first proposed by Lavington developer Garry Zauner.

Final go ahead was given in recent days by the Southern Regional Planning Panel with an estimated 100 jobs to be created in the initial construction phase.

It will be located behind the seven-storey Gardens Medical Centre which was also built by Zauner Construction.

The Australian Taxation Office headquarters further along Smollett Street was the biggest commercial project in Albury in recent times, but 4414 squares of commercial office space will be created along with 25 residential apartments on the one site.

It's bigger than The Hamilton, a six-storey building with apartments and ground level medical facilities, recently completed on the former Hungry Jacks site on corner of Hume and David streets.

It will also be linked by the 457 space car park which can also be used by those attending the Gardens Medical Centre.

Also, as part of the works all existing lifts in the medical centre will be replaced by high speed, larger sized lifts.

The project was designed by award-winning Leffler Simes Architects, which also designed the Gardens Medical Centre and Northpoint Tower in Lavington.

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The apartments on offer can be developed as self occupied home offices.

"They are a new concept for Albury-Wodonga," Mr Zauner said.

"It's the type of initiative where you might be a lawyer or specialist surgeon and want to keep consulting, but also want a highly specced apartment in town you can consult out of and still be part of a health precinct.

"We expect construction of a project of this size to generate 100 jobs on this site alone.

"But with a multiplier effect through the allied health and increased commercial opportunities to flow from it you would expect there would be hundreds more."

Planning consultant James Laycock from Blueprint Planning said the project would be another economic boost for the region post COVID-19.

"It's great to have another significant $30 million plus, multi-storey building project approved in the Albury CBD," he said.

"Additional high-rise CBD development strengthens Albury-Wodonga as a regional city and further supports initiatives of both councils to attract investment and economic growth for the betterment of the community.

"The development will greatly benefit the long-awaited infill renewal of the former NSW Department of Health site.

"It also improves the streetscape with activated street frontages."

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