The multi-level car park at the Ballarat station is set to open within days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Courier understands construction and landscaping work is complete, with Regional Development Victoria performing final checks before it opens to the public.
This could be as soon as Monday week.
There will be 405 parks across three levels, including eight accessible spaces, with ramp access, lighting, and full CCTV.
A path will be created between the car park and the station past the construction site offices.
The car park was initially slated to open in December, but delays, including the weather and the discovery of an unmapped mine shaft beneath the site, pushed it until February.
Staff will be on hand at the new access road off Nolan Street to help pedestrians and traffic when it opens.
The parks will be free for commuters, replacing the open parking area at the north-western part of the precinct.
Once the multi-level car park is open, this space will be closed so construction on the 77-room Quest Hotel can begin.
The $51 million project also includes a public plaza and the redevelopment of the historic bluestone Goods Shed as a conference and events centre.
Following this, work will begin on a new bus interchange between the multi-level car park and the station.
The hotel and Good Shed are expected to create 170 jobs.
There will also be another 150 car parks in front of the hotel, which will be open to the public.
The 405 spaces in the multi-level park will add to the existing 129 off-street commuter spaces on Doveton Street, as well as dozens of spaces along Doveton Crescent.
While the state government could not confirm when exactly the facility will open, Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes promised it would be “soon”.
“We’re proud to be delivering a new multi-deck carpark for Ballarat Station, which will soon be open to commuters to take the pressure off local streets and make it easier to get in and out of Ballarat,” she said.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
