Uni rejects

Andrew Mathieson
A PRIME slice of real estate serving as a student car park could become a battleground for rival development proposals.
Proponents of a Geelong convention centre have been locking horns with Deakin University over development of the waterfront site at the corner of Western Beach Road and Gheringhap Street.
But Deakin chief operating officer Graeme Dennehy indicated the land was not for sale.
“The Deakin waterfront car park is an integral component of the university’s master plan for the future development of the Geelong waterfront campus,” he said.
“(It) currently provides an essential parking facility for our staff and students.”
The proposed centre would accommodate 1200 visiting delegates.
Ed Coppe, the chairperson of regional councils alliance group G21, said the site was earmarked as a preferred option for a centre to host conferences and exhibitions.
The former Geelong mayor told the Independent earlier this month that building a convention centre close to the bay remained a “priority project”.
“For a convention centre to work, it needs to be near shopping, preferably near the water, and it ought to be an iconic building – not just a boring box but something that has a bit of a wow-factor about it,” he said.
“When you think about all those components, that Western Wedge area around Deakin University would be a good place for it.”