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Work is set to begin on a 4.5-star Holiday Inn Express & Suites in the new Maroochydore City Centre following approval for the project from Economic Development Queensland.

Leading Australian hotel development and investment firm, Pro-invest, expects to start construction on the nine-storey, 167-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites before Christmas with a view to opening in early 2021.

Pro-invest, which develops and operates the Holiday Inn Express brand in Australia and New Zealand under franchise from InterContinental Hotels Group, will build the new hotel on a prime 2535m2 site on First Avenue, close to the proposed future light rail network.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said Pro-invest’s commitment was another vote of confidence in the Maroochydore City Centre.

“The Maroochydore City Centre will be an incredibly important part of the Sunshine Coast’s future,” Cr Jamieson said.

“Smart, first movers like Pro-invest are taking advantage of the rare opportunity to be part of building the only greenfield CBD site in Australia.”

“Their investment also represents an opportunity for our tourism and business events industry, offering quality hotel accommodation in the heart of our new city centre.”

Pro-invest Chief Executive Officer Ronald Barrott said a Holiday Inn Express & Suites was ideal for the location because it would accommodate business and leisure travellers while also having conference and function facilities to cater to meetings.

“The Sunshine Coast is transitioning from a largely leisure-based market to a more diversified market with major growth in businesses establishing themselves in the region to take advantage of the large-scale infrastructure project such as the expanded airport, the new Maroochydore CBD and the international broadband submarine cable,” he said.

SunCentral Maroochydore Chief Executive Officer John Knaggs said the Holiday Inn Express & Suites would serve as a landmark building in the new CBD.

“It is an astute investment by Pro-invest from a brand and visibility point of view, being located on First Avenue at the gateway to the CBD,” he said.

“We look forward to seeing the success of the hotel in the years ahead.”