City to assess hotel

After months of consultation, a final concept plan for the vacant Esplanade Hotel site will be presented to the City of Albany before Christmas.

LandCorp announced on Monday that concept plans and planning documents for the iconic site along Middleton Beach, which has remained vacant for the past seven years, will be submitted to the City of Albany within the next two weeks.

A draft concept plan was published in August, shaped around months of community and stakeholder consultations by LandCorp.

Key themes raised included the need for adaptable, family-friendly spaces, a realignment of Flinders Parade and improved street parking.

Making sure it incorporated as much community input as possible, while remaining sympathetic to the site, LandCorp regional general manager Stuart Nahajski said changes to the plans since August were minor.

"We have reviewed and improved pedestrian access to the beach and explored the opportunity for additional street parking," he said.

"By re-aligning Flinders Parade and expanding the foreshore area, we also created a development site next to Three Anchors that will be a hotel and food and beverage precinct.

"In the new structure plan, we have relaxed the restriction on land use so we are quietly confident we will get developer interest considering the unique site."

The block has remained empty and unused until the State Government purchased the land for $7 million late last year.

After submission, the item will be considered by the City of Albany council at the February meeting and then opened for final community comment early next year.

Mayor Dennis Wellington said he was confident they had it right and were looking forward to the next stages of the process.

"It's the last place in WA that you can get that close to the water," he said.

"It is very unique and we are really positive that a great development can be delivered.

"While it has taken a while, you need to make sure you get it right."