A $21 million six-storey residential building has been proposed for the former Albury ambulance station site in Dean Street. Under the plan, which has been lodged with Albury Council and is out for public comment, the 1934 facade of the ambulance station will be retained. A commercial operation is earmarked for its ground floor, while apartments would be created in the first floor. Part of the rear of the old ambulance station and a shed would be demolished to allow for the 22-metre high, six-storey building to be constructed. The blueprint for the site comes nearly 10 years after paramedics shifted from the building to a new station in Wagga Road, Lavington, which was opened by then NSW premier Mike Baird on July 31, 2014. The Dean Street site was sold by the NSW government in 2018 for more than $1 million to the Arnold family, best known for their Wodonga fruit and vegetable business, following an auction where it was passed in. At that time, Roger Arnold said their redevelopment plans would be sympathetic to the past of the building which was designed by Albury architect Louis Harrison who was also responsible for the Monument Hill war memorial. Albury design consultancy Habitat Planning has submitted documentation to the council on behalf of Arnmob Pty Ltd for the development application. It notes the ambulance station from yesteryear is not heritage-listed, but its community significance is acknowledged in retaining the facade. "The proposed works will have a positive heritage impact as it seeks to utilise this important local heritage item to be used for ongoing mixed-use purposes as intended and historically utilised for," Habitat stated in its environmental effects report. Some windows and a door will be replaced on the facade. The six-storey complex is planned to house 17 apartments with five having three bedrooms, 11 containing two bedrooms and a lone single-bedroom unit. Car parking will be spread across the ground level and basement with 22 set aside for residents and three for visitors. Two bike racks will be installed on the ground floor. Habitat argues the proposal should be supported by the council on nine grounds. They include it bolstering housing stock, providing an "appropriate refurbishment" of an historic building, offering an improvement to the variety of existing residences and being able to tap into existing utility and transport services. The planners note that under local environmental plan the maximum height for the area is 16 metres, before pointing to nearby multi-storey structures such as The Botanical, Atura hotel and The Gardens. "These mid-rise developments have since set a precedent for the densification of the area," their report states. Public submissions on the project are being taken until January 17.