Retail or office space, an entertainment facility or serviced apartments are possible options Orange City Council would consider for the Ophir Car Park, with expressions of interest opening in February.
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The council is seeking developer submissions for the car park on the corner of Lords Place and Kite Street that will include the site having at least double the number of car parks as what it has currently.
However, the council is also willing for a multi-storey development that will also include a new commercial or residential development.
Deputy mayor Gerald Power said increasing parking next to the CBD is a key element of releasing the FutureCity upgrade plans.
"FutureCity is all about making the heart of our city more pedestrian-friendly and to facilitate this we need to find more parking within a short walking distance to town," he said.
"The Ophir Car Park is virtually a clean slate for a developer and has the zoning and height limits to make it an attractive proposition."
Under the FutureCity upgrade, about 23 car spaces were to be lost in nearby Lords Place where work is including footpath widening and road narrowing. As part of a survey of public opinion in relation to the project, reduced car parking was of particular concern.
Once it was decided to undertake an expression of interest process for the car park, the council engaged a specialist commercial property consultant to manage the process.
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Possible developments for the site that would need council planning approval, could include commercial premises, retail or office space, a mixed-use centre with entertainment facility, or serviced apartment accommodation.
Currently there are 215 parking spaces on the Ophir site and developer proposals should provide enough parking to cater for the new commercial or residential developments, as well as doubling the amount of existing parking available to the public from 215 parking spaces to 430.
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The expression of interest also asks developers to outline how they would manage the loss of parking during the construction period.
While the formal process will begin early in February 2023, businesses can register their interest beforehand by visiting Orange City Councils website: www.orange.nsw.gov.au/business/eio-for-multi-level-car-park/.
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