The new AUD$25 million Quest Wodonga will soon rise from the ground, with the commencement of construction marked on Friday (Jul 6) by a sod-turning ceremony.
Quest Serviced Apartments’ General Manager of Locations, Andrew Weisz, was joined by Wodonga Council’s Mayor, Cr Mark Byatt, and co-developers, Bill Perry and Colin Joss to mark the milestone.
The Quest property will be located on the scout hall site at Reid Street Wodonga and is expected to open prior to Easter in 2013.
The new Quest property will offer 48 studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and it is anticipated that this development will add a minimum of 80 new jobs to the city.
Once open, it will be operated as a Quest Serviced Apartments business, catering primarily for business travellers to the area.
Mayor Byatt said the development would be “wonderful for the local economy”.
“We are thrilled that Quest has committed to this wonderful development, which is a significant sign of confidence in this city’s economic capabilities,” he said.
“Not only will jobs be created but we will have a top class facility for corporate visitors.”
Weisz said Quest’s expansion into Wodonga was part of the company’s accelerated growth strategy and Wodonga was the perfect fit for a Quest development after a demand assessment part-funded by Tourism Victoria identified a need for high-quality accommodation in Wodonga’s CBD.
“Our focus is to provide corporates with flexible quality accommodation in the locations that need it,” he said. “Simply, our business growth is based on supply and demand and in recent times the greatest demand has been in suburban and regional locations.
“It’s not always easy developing new properties, but in partnership with leading developers and with the support of councils and communities who share our vision, it can be achieved.
“We’re proud to be establishing a Quest Serviced Apartments business in this prosperous city. I thank everyone who has played a role in getting the development to this stage,” Weisz said.