Jan Lindrum presents foreshore vision at Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce meeting

The hotel, under the Marriott International banner, is the centrepiece of project originator and entrepreneur Dr Jan Lindrum’s foreshore vision, which she outlined at the Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce networking meeting on October 24. 

Lindrum Property, ARTAS Architects and Marriott share the vision.

The hotel would sit on the Plaza car park site, under the proposed vision, with the possibility of a boardwalk leading to a stage over the water. Public access to the foreshore would be retained.

Art houses, like those in San Diego, for crafts and artistic endeavours could face the water or the foreshore could feature landscaping and sculptures which pay tribute to our history.

The hotel would contain a bar/cafe, retail space, reception area, pool and relaxation garden, two levels of apartments at the top, hotel rooms across five floors and a convention centre.

There would be on-site parking for the hotel, apartments and facility users.

The hotel plan forms part of the larger vision which takes in the sites of Food for Less, Dan Murphy’s, the Port Macquarie Olympic Pool, library and the council headquarters.

There would need to be agreement from Woolworths, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and Crown Lands for the big picture vision to be realised. Woolworths owns the Food for Less site, which would ideally form part of the Marriott development under Dr Lindrum’s vision.

Dr Lindrum confirmed she had a discussion with Woolworths.

Dr Lindrum, in a bid to find a suitable location for Woolworths, has identified the pool and library sites for a Woolworths supermarket and Dan Murphy’s.

A new council headquarters and library would serve as a major information centre. An alternate location would need to be found for the pool.

She believes the Dan Murphy’s site has the potential to become a major parking lot with dedicated worker parking as a solution to the car parking issue. It would be heavily landscaped.

Dr Lindrum said the next stage was listening to the community.

The plans will be refined in two packages – one focusing on the Plaza car park and another incorporating the Food for Less site.

Dr Lindrum asked people to put aside preconceived ideas, toss away any negatives, keep an open mind and think about the possibilities.

She said the vision had the potential to create employment, bring our rich history to the forefront and put Port Macquarie further and further onto the map.

Dr Lindrum said the vision could be a springboard for cruise ship passengers to come ashore in tenders and a spectacular gateway would be a springboard for the airport master plan’s implementation.

Port Macquarie is a hotel market with excellent prospects of long-term success, a Marriott representative says.

Marriott International senior director, development, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Richard Crawford, said Marriott commended Lindrum Property on the project plans they had conceptualised for the Port Macquarie foreshore and welcomed their vision to include an internationally branded hotel.

“Appropriate hotel development can deliver far-reaching benefits to regional communities and we are eager to work with Jan Lindrum and her team to see Marriott International operate the planned hotel, under one of our thirty international brands,” he said.

“The project information we have reviewed depicts a high quality vision and Port Macquarie is a hotel market with excellent prospects of long-term success.”

Mr Crawford said Marriott was confident that its global distribution power and experienced local operating team would deliver the very best commercial outcomes to the benefit of the broader development and the community.

The 60-strong crowd at the chamber of commerce meeting had a mixed reaction to the foreshore vision.

Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce president Hadyn Oriti said he saw the presentation as very much a conversation starter.

“This is not the end point,” he said.

Mayor Peta Pinson said a lot of things needed to take place before a development rose from the ground.

“Crown Lands are involved, Woolworths is involved, council is involved but more importantly, our community is involved,” she said.

Cr Pinson said she would listen to the community and bring their views back to the council.

Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams said it was not appropriate for her to comment on the proposal as Crown Lands owned the Plaza car park.

Mrs Williams said the state government planned to make the Foreshore Lands Advisory Group (FLAG) a much more formalised group. She said once that occurred, the committee would help drive the direction on the Plaza car park’s future.

A Woolworths spokesperson says Woolworths is always willing to listen to the community and take into consideration their views. 

The spokesperson said Woolworths remained fully committed to Port Macquarie and looked forward to bringing a new retail shopping experience in the future.