The development application before council is for 277-282 Cobra Street to be turned into 52 serviced apartments.

It will include alterations to the two existing buildings which will contain 24 services apartments, plus eight additional buildings which will contain another 28 apartments, three disabled units and a common room.

Administrator Michael Kneipp recommended the redevelopment be approved, before the final tick is given to the work on Monday night at the April council meeting.

“Originally used as a motel, the site was then developed into a boarding house for socially disadvantaged residents and became known as Mitchell House,” Mr Kneipp said.

“Over the years, council has received complaints about the operation of Mitchell House, and also received significant objections to a past proposal for its use by the NSW Department of Justice as a transitional group home,”

“The site has frontage to Cobra Street, is part of the gateway to the city and is adjoined to the east by council’s Keswick Residential Estate,”

“For these reasons, combined with past public interest in the site, the development application has been forwarded to council for the purposes of transparency in its determination.”

The owners of the property plan to target tourists and visitors looking for simple and affordable accommodation anywhere from one week to three months. A caretaker will reside on-site to undertake any maintenance and manage guest behaviour.

The development will include communal laundry facilities and each unit will have its own kitchenette and bathroom.

Overall, council said the design includes sufficient design features to ensure it will make a positive contribution to the streetscape.

Adjoining property owners to the site were given 14 days to provide feedback on the plans, but no submissions were made to council.

If given the green light next week, the approval will be subject to 76 conditions which relate to areas such as how the development should look.