DevWest Wins More Time on Subiaco Project Again

A developer has been granted an extension of time to commence work on its mixed-use project in Western Australia for the third time.

The Metro-Inner North Joint Development Assessment Panel decided in favour of the application by Brett Lovett’s DevWest Group for extra time to begin work on the Subiaco plan. 

DevWest won approval for the project, dubbed Hay 263, planned for a site at 263-277 Hay Street and 304-305 Olive Street in 2016 and has twice previously successfully applied to extend the time to commence. 

The six-storey tower eight apartments on the ground floor along with three spaces for cafe tenancies and three commercial tenancies.

Both the first and second floors will each have 10 apartments and seven office tenancies, the third floor will have 10 apartments, the fourth floor 18 apartments and the fifth floor 15 apartments.

Residents will have access to 85 car parking spaces on the second basement level along with storage and end-of-trip facilities for the office tenants.

There will be 68 car parking spaces including 31 residential parking spaces, 28 commercial parking spaces and nine visitor parking spaces on the first basement level with more end-of-trip facilities, storage space and bin access and storage.  

The site was purchased from Ordberg Nominees Pty Ltd for $4.9 million in November 2011, according to Corelogic's property records. It was listed again in 2017 for $9 million but not sold.

▲ A render of DevWest's other Subiaco project, Railway 23.

After being approved in April, 2016—a few weeks later in May, the developer appealed to the State Administrative Tribunal for changes to some of the conditions of the approval.

These changes and an extension in time from two to four years were granted but in April 2020, the West Australian planning minister introduced Covid exemptions. 

This then pushed the commencement period to end on April 27, 2022.

In November 2021, DevWest lodged amendments to the original proposal which included increasing the height.

The City of Subiaco supported these changes but not a time extension and the developer put in a late request prior to the February 14, 2022 Development Assessment Panel meeting for the extension.

Both the changes and the extension were approved, extending the time to October 27, 2022.

Planning officers at the City of Subiaco recommended that the Metro-Inner North JDAP refuse the application for an extension of time for commencing the project. 

Panel members voted 3-2 against the council's recommendation, approving an extension of another six months, noting that current conditions in the industry were also a key factor.

DevWest has developed other projects including Adelaide’s District Outlet Centre, and Railway 23 and the Cloisters, both in Subiaco, 3km west of the Perth CBD.

It will work with EMCO to design and build Hay 263.

Perth has experienced a relatively lower rate of decline in housing approvals compared to other capital cities.

Subiaco is a key suburb for development with heavy-hitter Sentinel developing the first institutional build-to-rent project in Australia in the suburb.

The Urban Developer contacted DevWest for comment prior to publication.