By late yesterday, the council had published 33 submissions on its website in response to Tekapo businessman Anthony Tosswill’s bid for consent to build the $75million, five-star hotel opposite the Dunedin Town Hall.
Of those, 24 were against the project and nine supported it.
Critics cited concerns including the hotel’s height, loss of views and its impact on parking and surrounding heritage buildings.
Supporters argued it would deliver a much-needed boost to the city’s tourist industry, economy and surrounding businesses.
The numbers do not compare with the 507 submissions that flooded in after Betterways Advisory Ltd proposed a 27-storey hotel and apartment tower on the city’s waterfront in 2012. However, with just days left to make a submission on the Filleul St hotel, the numbers were expected to climb.
Among the project’s opponents was Frances Ross, who argued the hotel would dwarf surrounding buildings and obscure views enjoyed by people living and working up the hill from the site.
"It would become the dominant building in central Dunedin, which is a city of predominantly low rise buildings in keeping with its small size and its traditional character."
The hotel was also an "ultra modern" design that made "no attempt" to fit in.
"The proposed hotel goes against the very character that people who visit our city value. It is the wrong building in the wrong place."
However, hotel supporter David Ryan argued the project would lift the city’s tourist offering and mean more jobs for hotel workers, suppliers and other businesses visited by tourists in Dunedin.
"Dunedin needs to do something to maintain its position as a major New Zealand city, and offering the appropriate facilities for local and international tourists is one way of doing that."
Mr Tosswill’s bid for resource consent was announced last month.
The public has until May 10 to make submissions. The submissions process will be followed by a public hearing before independent commissioners, expected to be later this year, although the panel’s membership is yet to be decided.
If approved, the 17-storey glass tower would be built on the council’s Filleul St car park, at the corner of Moray Pl and Filleul St, opposite the Dunedin Town Hall.
The building, rising to 64m at its highest point, would tower well above the site’s existing 11m height limit and the 16m limit proposed under the second generation district plan (2GP).
However, Mr Tosswill has also touted its economic benefits and said the hotel would send a signal Dunedin was "open for business".
The hotel, to be run by a yet-to-be-named five-star hotel chain, would include 210 hotel rooms, 64 apartments, and four penthouse suites.
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Dunedin: the time has come to decide whether you want to survive as a "city" or an "outpost" - the writing is on the wall - Cadbury, Fisher & Paykel, Kiwi Rail are gone. Soon the hospital is likely to be downgraded and combined with Waikato getting a Medical School the challenges and threats are mounting. It is clear Dunedin needs more hotels - it is fine to discuss design but in the end there seem to be a few people against any development. The loss of the harbour hotel was the biggest loss in the city's recent history - it would have led to a new future for the harbour and the city just look at Wellington, Sydney, San Francisco, Baltimore and many others. Time to embrace change and be proud.