The plans, lodged by Nordon Jago Architects to Shellharbour City Council, show a two and three storey building which will include 13 guest rooms, a gym, spa and restaurant at 71 Fig Hill Lane.

There will also be three separate one-storey pavilions with 20 additional guest rooms.

Read more: Abandoned Minnamurra mansion faces brighter future: photos

The architect says the three arc-shaped clifftop pavilions will "unobtrusively fit into the topography".

The resort, which would be 10-minute drive from Kiama and 25-minutes from Wollongong, would see the demolition of "Minnamurra Mansion", a very large run-down and unfinished two-storey building.

The property was going to be remodelled into an equestrian centre but that never eventuated.

The Dunmore Equestrian Centre homestead, which became unofficially known as "the abandoned Minnamurra Mansion" was two-thirds complete when work ground to a halt in 2009 when the owner, John Kosseris', business went into receivership.

In the following years the property became a magnet for vandals - and a popular illegal skate park.

Under the new plans, the basement level will house a gymnasium and beauty therapy centre.

The ground floor level will include a restaurant, lounge bar and terrace, swimming pool.

Ten units and a reception will be on the first floor level; and three additional guests' units and a bar will be located at the rooftop level.

The architect said "ecologically sustainable measures" would be included such as on-site collection and storage of rainwater, water efficiency measures, passive thermal design, efficient lighting and a high efficiency air-cooled centralised conditioning system.

The application will be on public exhibition until December 11.