THE owner of the former Dairy Farmers site is willing to invest more than $23 million to prepare it for both residential and commercial use.
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A development application has been submitted to Bathurst Regional Council, proposing to build serviced apartments, a commercial office suite and a piazza on the central business district site, which has been vacant for many years.
It is not the first time a proposal like this has been put forward.
A similar plan was rejected by council in 2016 due to a range of issues, including the height and bulk of the proposed building and insufficient parking allocations.
Local heritage advocates also objected to the development, feeling it didn't fit in with Bathurst's heritage landscape.
The site is owned by Joss, a building company based in Albury, and the company is said to be "optimistic of a positive reception" with the new DA as issues with the previous proposal have now been addressed.
"We are proposing a complex of buildings specifically designed for the Bathurst context and to compliment the important heritage of the site," Brett McClellan said on behalf of the developers.
Integrated DESIGN group was engaged by the developers to consider the site as a whole and have put a lot of thought into the heritage aspect of the site.
"We have used the proportion and forms of the heritage buildings to inform the shape of modern buildings so that old and new will sit very well together," architect Tony McBurney said.
"All the buildings open to the centre of the site so that people get to move through interesting spaces and engage with the old buildings, up close.
"This will allow a very different appreciation of buildings that have been locked away from the public for so long."
As part of the application, a statement of heritage impact was prepared.
The report concluded that the proposed development "will have an acceptable heritage impact".
It also notes that a change of use will enable the significance of the entire site to be preserved.
Mr McBurney said that the developer and architects working on the project consulted with council and stakeholders over a 12-month period to ensure that key concerns were addressed prior to submission.
"This is a methodology that council has instituted towards a more collaborative outcome for the city, and it is an approach we welcome and is very natural for us," he said.
"There are always people who care for their community and can add valuable insight to a project.
"We are really excited how this development has taken on the very character of the town 'introducing' Bathurst at this key gateway location."
The DA documentation is available on council's website and at the civic centre.
Residents can make a submission on the plans to council while the project is on public exhibition.
Anyone who wants to discuss the project in greater detail is invited to send an email to tonym@idgarchitects.com.au.
