Developer DOMA Group has lodged plans for a new public car park in the heart of Newcastle's Civic precinct.
The car park would occupy a 140-metre-long sliver of vacant land between DOMA's new Crossing apartment complex in Merewether Street and commercial buildings fronting Hunter Street.
The space, formerly part of Newcastle's heavy rail corridor, has been used as a construction compound and car park by tradesmen working on the apartment building.
DOMA's development application says the car park will include 70 spaces and be open 24 hours a day.
The inner-city lost 380 parking spaces in 2020 when City of Newcastle marked its Mall car park in King Street for demolition due to structural problems.
Liberal councillor Jenny Barrie raised the issue of parking in the city during a debate about traffic changes for Darby Street at a council meeting on Tuesday night.
She said the council should "maybe work with the NSW government with what's happening in Wright Lane and the rail corridor, because we're losing a lot of parking".
Meanwhile, councillors have placed the proposed Hunter Park redevelopment at Broadmeadow at the top of its wish list for the NSW election in March 2023.
The council voted to seek commitments from all parties, independents and candidates for the March 25 vote to support a host of projects long championed by Hunter advocates.
Hunter Park is a proposed housing, entertainment and sports complex between Broadmeadow train station and Hunter Stadium.
The full wish list is outlined in a council "advocacy" document which suggests Hunter Park will require about $500 million in government funding.
Other projects on the list include the $800 million John Hunter Hospital rebuild and innovation precinct, $18 million for Richmond Vale Rail Trail and $21 million to address Stockton beach erosion.
It also calls for Newcastle to have equal access to all state and federal government grant funding streams.
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