DEVELOPERS hope to break ground on the planned hotel in Hargreaves Mall early next year.
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Bendigo Hotel Investments representative Ben Tzirkas said the project - which will operate as a Bendigo Mantra hotel - is currently out to tender.
He said he hoped to have the tenders resolved by November before beginning work on the hotel in late January.
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"We need to settle some other affairs and (hope to) start early in new year by late January or early February or maybe March," Mr Tzirkas said. "The permits are in place and we are good to go."
Early works inside the Beehive building will occur before work on constructing the hotel begins.
"We anticipate (the build) would take 15 or 16 months, which means we would open the doors by mid-2023," Mr Tzirkas said. "We are really excited and keen to get going. We started this in 2018 and it would be nice to get to the other end."
Work was initially expected to start on the hotel by July. Mr Tzirkas said the coronavirus pandemic meant things were progressing slower than hoped for.
"The wheels seemed to turn slowly everywhere," he said.
"While people won't see a lot happening, we will be doing works in the belly of building (in the new year). Then demolition will happen, maybe March."
Mr Tzirkas said support for the hotel proposal had been strong.
"We have had nothing but support from everyone," he said. "We presented to Be Bendigo early in the piece as well as key business owners.
"We did have some minor objections but there were also submissions of support from business owners, which is really nice."
The City of Greater Bendigo approved permits for the hotel mid-2020. It is anticipated the hotel will be a 4.5 star experience.
The six-storey, 110 room hotel will include a restaurant, cafe and function facilities, with construction expected to cost $14.4 million, according to planning documents.
The hotel is one of three planned for the Bendigo CBD.
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Along with the Mantra Bendigo, council approved a six-storey, 105-room hotel, next to the former Bush's Produce Store on Williamson Street, proposed by Amber Property Group.
In May, the City of Greater Bendigo approved another hotel proposal, directly opposite. The 202-room venue is planned for the block between Williamson, Mollison and McLaren streets.
In January, Mantra Hotel Bendigo managing director Dale Bainbridge said the interior design was finalised just before Christmas last year.
Mr Bainbridge said the design reflected the heritage aspects of both Bendigo and the site.
Mr Bainbridge said the theme would flow through to a food and beverage outlet, which was planned for the Hargreaves Mall side of the hotel.
He said the idea was for the space to be welcoming of all diners and patrons, not just guests at the hotel.
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