Developer Loses Storey in Project’s Third Consultation Round

A project at 26 Hicks Street at Lara, a suburb of Geelong, has now entered its third round of public exhibition in what has been a tortuous planning process. 

Plans for the project were first filed in late 2022 for a four-storey office building, but developers opted to redesign the building after receiving more than 100 objections during the public exhibition period in January 2023.

A second application was filed in September 2023 with a redesign of the project.

That design removed an education centre component of the project and introduced a lighter facade. 

The education centre had been a confirmed tenant for the space prior to the first planning application.

City of Greater Geelong’s Council rejected the second application and redesign in October 2023 after receiving objections to the building’s height with many saying it was better suited elsewhere in the city. 

Developers have now resubmitted a different design which sees the original four-storey office and retail project lose a storey to become a three-storey building. 

Ashmark Investments was reported by other media to be the developer behind the project but The Urban Developer has been unable to confirm this.

Hansen Partnership is currently acting on behalf of the developers with Ammache Architects listed as the architects on the plans submitted to council.

▲ Monno and other developers have flocked to Geelong to build projects in the office and residential markets.

There is currently a single storey building on the site, which will be demolished as part of the project. 

The developers have also asked for a larger reduction in car parking spaces, with only 49 provided instead of 57 as previously proposed. The site sits opposite the Lara Railway Precinct.

Advertising for the latest design of the project is now under way with the council yet to schedule a meeting to make a determination.