But the Ballarat City Council's CBD draft plan makes clear the Civic Hall site is likely to be very different in the future.

The draft plan recommends the council investigate detailed options for new buildings, including structures of up to four storeys built to the street edge.

Larger buildings of up to six storeys could be added in the centre of the site, and even an element of up to 10 storeys to create a new skyline feature for the city. New green spaces and plazas could be built.

A master plan would be drawn up up for the site, with a move of council's administration to the new site already flagged.

A report on the feasibility of such move is expected to go back to council before Christmas.

The draft plan does not make specific recommendations about what would go or stay on the site. But several fixtures are described in less than glowing terms.

Deck car parking on the corner of Armstrong and Mair St "presents an unfavourable image on this important corner".

Surface car parking elsewhere on the site is "unattractive" and a significant underuse of prime CBD land.

The skate park, while used by local youth, is another unfavourable image for the site.

And the Civic Hall itself might not survive a redevelopment.

"Should this building be removed, it opens up many possibilities for re-use of this large parcel of land within close proximity to the CBD and the (railway) station," the draft plan reads.