Singapore Developer Reveals Plans for Prime Hobart Site

The former home of University of Tasmania’s Conservatorium of Music is poised for a dramatic second act as Singaporean tycoon Koh Wee Meng unveils his latest vision for the prime Sandy Bay location at Hobart. The billionaire’s Fragrance Group has submitted its proposal for converting the 4445sq m heritage-rich site into a contemporary mixed-use development, blending short-stay accommodation with upscale townhouses at 5-7 Sandy Bay Road, minutes from Hobart’s waterfront. The site was the former home of the ABC building and is home to a number of heritage-listed cottages. It was acquired by the Singapore-based group in 2017 for an undisclosed sum, a deal that also included multiple adjacent properties with a combined land area of about 4868sq m spanning 5-7 Sandy Bay Road, 9, 11 and 13 Wilmot Street, and 4, 6 and 8 Heathfield Avenue. Fragrance Group established a wholly owned subsidiary, Fragrance Tas-Hobart (Sandy Bay), specifically for the project with an initial paid-up capital of $1 million. Koh has more than 30 years of experience in the property and hotel industries. The hotelier and property magnate took the Singapore-listed company private in 2021 and is listed as a director of Fragrance TAS-Hobart (Sandy Bay) Pty Ltd, alongside Periakaruppan Aravindan, the group’s executive director and deputy chief, with Australian director Gary James Douglas also listed on ASIC records. Delete The new plans, the latest of three proposals, involve demolition, alterations, extensions and a change of use to food services and visitor accommodation with 72 serviced apartments, along with the construction of 12 multiple homes and associated works. This is a scaling back from the initial October, 2019 application, which proposed the demolition of the Conservatorium of Music building and steel tower to build two apartment buildings comprising 55 homes, communal spaces and a cafe. That earlier design featured a seven-storey building at the corner of Wilmot Street and Sandy Bay Road, and a 10-storey apartment building. It included two levels of basement carparking containing 86 spaces and bicycle storage accessed via a ramp from Wilmot Street. While this plan was approved in August of 2020, along with a revised version in March of 2021, neither was implemented due to cost considerations. ▲ An aerial view of the Fragrance Group Sandy Bay site. The project, in Hobart’s Urban Mixed-Use Zone, would now incorporate 12 townhouses alongside short-stay apartments within a gross floor area of 13,560 square metres. Plans include a 100sq m cafe with a 61sq m alfresco dining area, designed to serve as a community hub for residents and visitors. According to the development application, the townhouses would come in “a diverse range of typologies to suit the needs of modern urban dwellers”, with outdoor spaces ranging from 15 to 54sq m a unit. The short-stay accommodation component includes studio apartments from 26sq m to larger twin-key units of 68 square metres. Delete The design incorporates energy-efficient glazing and maximises natural light through full-height windows in north-facing areas, aligning with contemporary sustainability standards. A dual-level basement would form part of the development, addressing council requirements while preserving the urban scale of the area. Heritage preservation forms a central component of the plan, with existing heritage-listed cottages being retained and a protected mural onsite carefully integrated into the design. Since the initial proposal, plans have included retaining the mosaic mural and incorporating it into the Sandy Bay Road frontage. “The mural must always remain a prominent piece of public art and in any major redevelopment of the site, the opportunity for incorporating other public art in association with the mural should be explored,” the planning documents said. ▲ The heritage mural on the facade of the former conservatorium/ABC building would be retained as part of the development. Architect Lawrence J. Scanlan said harmonious integration with the surrounding area had always been sought because, “as Hobart is rapidly growing, we believe the relationship between the city’s history and its promising future [is] integral to the design of the project”. The Sandy Bay development is the latest in Fragrance Group’s expanding Australian portfolio, which includes several major projects across the country. The developer has established a presence in Hobart with the ibis Styles Hobart, a 296-room hotel in the central business district that stands as Tasmania’s largest hotel. The group is also developing another upmarket hotel at 28-30 Davey Street , near Hobart’s waterfront and the Salamanca Market. Fragrance Group’s mainland Australian developments include Melbourne’s Elenberg Fraser-designed Premier Tower , with its 795 apartments and distinctive curved structure opposite Southern Cross railway station. The tower’s podium forms the 172-room Mövenpick hotel . ▲ Premier Tower is also home to Melbourne ’ s Mövenpick Hotel. In Perth, the developer’s portfolio includes NV Apartments (401 apartments) and an adjacent 435-room hotel at Murray Street, plus plans for another mixed-use development on Milligan Street in Perth’s CBD. Construction timelines and estimated costs for the project have not been disclosed.

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