Skyline Enterprises hopes to build a $10 million, multi-level parking building behind the base terminal of the Queenstown gondola.
The tourism giant has applied to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to lease a 8361sq m site in Ben Lomond Recreation Reserve, at the end of Brecon St, which would increase the area of an existing lease now being used for 75 staff car parks.
If the lease is approved, the company will lodge a resource consent application for the building, which will have capacity for 207 vehicles.
Skyline Queenstown general manager Lyndon Thomas said car parking was a ''consistent message'' in public submissions last year after the company applied for resource consent for a $100 million redevelopment of the entire gondola complex.
Mr Thomas said the lease application was the first step in the planning process, and he could not speculate on its chances for approval.
''We've applied for the lease and now it's really up to the council.''
Skyline Enterprises executive chairman Mark Quickfall said the company had been working with traffic planners and the council to address parking concerns since last October, and the parking building was the ''logical answer''.
''We recognise there is an issue with car parking in central Queenstown, and with future projections in local population and visitor growth, we need to respond accordingly.''
The parking building proposal would be presented as part of the company's gondola application when it went before the Environment Court late next month.
Although the building would be used by Skyline staff and customers, any additional capacity would be made available for use by the general public.
On-site parking made access to the gondola easier for customers, and avoided the need to park in existing on-street car parks on Brecon St or in the town centre, he said.
Pedestrian and cycleway access to Ben Lomond Recreation Reserve would be improved as part of the work.
Mr Thomas said it was too early to say if the parking building's design would allow for more levels to be added in the future.
Its design would not be finalised until after the lease and resource consent had been confirmed.
In a separate consent earlier this year, Skyline applied to replace its two-seater luge chairlift with a four-seater.
If approved, the $5 million project would include three small buildings for operations and emergency purposes.
