The final pieces of the Busselton foreshore redevelopment are coming to fruition after the City of Busselton and Pacifica Developments signed a memorandum of understanding to construct a 4.5 star Hilton hotel.
The plans for the new luxury hotel development were unveiled on Wednesday at a meeting between the developer the operator, the lead architect and the City of Busselton.
Pacifica Development director John Zendler together with Hilton Developments vice president Robert Scullin gave a presentation outlining the vision for the hotel development while Collard Preston lead architect Nick Preston from Collard Preston provided information on the hotel's design and key features.
A memorandum of understanding between the City of Busselton and Pacifica Hotel Holdings Pty Ltd was signed outlining the intended legal structure and development terms of the hotel project and the parties' roles and expectations in relation to the development.
The development will take place on one of two commercial development sites earmarked for a high-end hotel on the Busselton Foreshore.
The new 110 to 120 room hotel will be built at Lot 600 Foreshore Parade on Crown Reserve which is in the process of being subleased to Pacifica Developments by the City of Busselton.
The hotel will provide a range of amenities and services including short stay accommodation; meeting and boardroom facilities, restaurant and dining options, a roof top function centre and parking.
The hotel will offer views of Busselton Jetty and Geographe Bay, the wetlands, Whicher Scarp and Yallingup Hills.
It is expected the development will take between 12 to 18 months to complete once building commences, and will provide around 40 jobs when the hotel is constructed.
The developers have engaged with local builders during the design process to get construction started as quickly as possible once planning is approved.
City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said signing of the memorandum of understanding paved the way for the proposed development, which has always been a key feature of the Busselton Foreshore Masterplan, to become a firm reality.
Mr Henley said the absence of a high-end accommodation option in central Busselton had long been recognised.
"This development will bring additional vibrancy to the foreshore and town centre," he said.
"Given the synergies with this project and the airport redevelopment we are expecting to see an influx of visitors from the Eastern States and, in the future, some near Asian destinations.
"Together these projects will return significant economic returns to the City of Busselton and the broader South West region.
"This project will create new jobs both during the construction phase and as an ongoing concern.
"It is a fabulous outcome for the City of Busselton and I extend my thanks to all those people including City officers and officers from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage who have enabled the process thus far."
Pacifica Development director John Zendler said that designs for the new hotel were very impressive.
"I think people are going to be very pleased with the development which will be high-end but in keeping with the natural and built environment," he said.
"The hotel will be designed and built in a way that complements all that has already been achieved along this iconic section of the Busselton Foreshore."
