Mona submits ‘shopping trolley’ design for hotel

Plans for a luxury $400 million, 176-room five-star hotel to be built alongside Mona have been revealed.

The museum this morning announced they had submitted a development application for the hotel.

It will be called Motown and looks like a giant shopping trolley, with a horizontal distance from the shore of 53m.

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“It’s not modest,” says Mona founder David Walsh. “We wanted an inverted suspension bridge, but then the value engineers got at it.

“Now it’s a shopping trolley that looks a bit like an inverted suspension bridge.”

Motown will feature a 1075-seat theatre, an outdoor stage and a conference centre for up to 1600 people.

More gallery space is also included in the proposal, as well as a spa, playgrounds and office space, but the centrepiece will be a library to house Mr Walsh and his mates’ collection of books, maps, documents and “weird stuff”.

Walsh says it will be one of the largest developments to take place on the Berriedale peninsula.

He says they have already spent 10 years and $15 million on the project but this is the first of 28 designs that was good enough to present to the public.

The proposed ‘Motown’ hotel at Mona will feature a theatre.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposal once approval has been granted by Crown Land Services and the development application assessment process can commence with Glenorchy City Council.

The project will create more than 450 full-time construction jobs and once operational will add an extra 120 staff to Mona’s books.

It is expected to be completed by 2024.

The museum will remain open throughout the construction of Motown.

Mona co-chief executive Mark Wilsdon says Motown will create a complete visitor experience.

“This will be great for Mona’s sustainability and more broadly, Tasmanians, who we expect will reap the ensuing tourism, social and economic benefits of the development,” he says.

“We envisage that the new development will operate as part of the Mona experience, which has a foundation on the integration of art and performance in conjunction with hospitality, food and beverage.”

He says the price for a room at the hotel is expected to be about $400 a night.

He says Mona is working with the council and neighbouring organisations to minimise any foreseeable impact while construction takes place.

The proposed library within the new Mona hotel.

Traffic from the building site won’t use the main entrance to the museum and a site base will be established at the old caravan park to the north of the Mona site.

State Growth Minister Peter Gutwein says Motown is an exciting development and the arts, cultural and tourist facilities will provide significant benefit to the state.

Mona has asked the State Government to act as a guarantor for the cost of the hotel.

Gutwein says they are undertaking an assessment of the project before committing support.

Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston says it is an interesting proposal.

She says the council welcomes any development proposal in their city but they have only received some preliminary paperwork so far and not a valid application as it still has to be ticked off by Crown Land Services.

She says Mona has been very proactive in seeking community feedback but people should also provide submissions to the council once the application process starts.

A community information session will be held at the museum on December 17 at 6pm and more details can be found at mona.net.au/in-the-works/motown

This article from The Mercury originally appeared as “Plans for a $400 million luxury hotel at Mona revealed”.