Hobart’s city council has approved the university’s development application for the Forestry Commission building in the CBD, vacant since 2017

The refurbed site will accommodate learning and teaching for 3000 plus staff and students in business, economics and law.

The development is core to the university’s relocation from the existing Sandy Bay campus to the city.

Approval comes ahead of a council public meeting next Wednesday, in response to a petition calling on the City of Hobart to, “suspend all support in relation to the relocation proposal until completion of a comprehensive review of the relocation proposal in a form that enables community comment.”

Such comment will likely to focus on arguments that the university should stay at Sandy Bay and that moving into town will be bad for the existing CBD.

The ABC has covered opposition to the relocation, for example HERE.

But now the Hobart Mercury is on-side, at least with the restoration of the Forestry building, The paper ran a story on Council’s decision yesterday which covered support and opposition to the project but also included images of the “incredible designs.” The Mercury’s website also has very positive video from architect Robert Morris talking about the project.