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City council approves cinema, airport hotel

An eight-storey hotel complex at Geraldton Airport and an outdoor cinema on the southern side of Dome café were approved by this week’s meeting of the City of Greater Geraldton council.

As well, the council took the fi rst steps towards facilitating banking services in Mullewa and added Geraldton City Band to a recommended list of triennial grants allocations.

It has approved a draft master plan for the Bill Sewell complex, endorsed a tender for the construction of stage one of the Geraldton Airport technology park and agreed to appoint an additional full-time employee at the airport.

The preferred developer for the airport hotel project is Melbourne’s Saraceno Group and APPD Ptd Ltd.

It plans to build 176 double bedrooms in stage one, and 60 more in stage two, with longer term plans including a 150 seat restaurant, a business centre, ballroom, convention facility and a health centre.

WHBO/Civil has been nominated to build stage one of the airport technology park subject to confirmation of funds through the Mid West Investment Plan.

The park would be on 24 hectares set aside for commercial development including the airport hotel.

The outdoor cinema on the Geraldton Foreshore was proposed by George Scicluna and envisages Saturday family entertainment and films shown on a drop-down movie screen on Dome’s southern wall.

The council’s in-principle support for banking services in Mullewa included the possibility of refurbishing the former bank building in Jose St being considered 2012-13 budget deliberation process.

Approval was given for grants totalling $286,720 each year for three years to 17 community organisation recommended by the grants advisory committee.