Planning work for a new convention centre is set to be included in the ACT budget, 10 years after the territory government first sought out a design and business case for the centre.
The upcoming territory budget will include funding to plan for a new convention and entertainment centre to be located across the current site and the Civic pool.
The precinct would include an indoor music venue to attract larger touring acts and host some sports fixtures.
The government will also explore options for a new Civic pool in Commonwealth Park.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said planning and design work would get the project investment-ready. He was it would be a defining project for the city centre.
"The proposed new convention and entertainment centre in Canberra's CBD is a key, city shaping project that will define the city centre," he said.
"The project is an important asset for our local tourism and business sector, while the entertainment centre will ensure that Canberra is a much more attractive tour option for live music and entertainment."
The territory government started planning for a new convention centre about a decade ago but the plans were put on ice.
The government commissioned a reference design and business case for the new convention centre in 2014, which was set to be called the Australia Forum.
Architecture firm, Guida Moseley Brown, was commissioned to provide a reference design for the centre. It was expected to be located on a car park near City Hill, facing Parkes Way.
The project was expected to initially cost $500 million but later estimates, from 2017, suggested the cost would be closer to $900 million.
Mr Barr reportedly abandoned the project after failing to attract funding from the Commonwealth.
A Legislative Assembly committee conducted an inquiry into the demand for a new convention centre in 2017.
The committee recommended the government should finesse the project over a five-year period and look to the private sector for help building the first stage of a new centre. The rest of the centre should be finished in the decade after, the committee said.
The Chief Minister is urging the federal government for a 50-50 funding agreement for the development of the convention and entertainment centre precinct.
