The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinarsUrbanity
Industry Excellence
Urban Leader
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Urban Leader Awards Logos RGB White
NOMINATIONS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 12 RECOGNISING THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE PROJECTS
NOMINATIONS CLOSING SEPTEMBER 12 URBAN LEADER AWARDS
LEARN MOREDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
Build-to-RentMarisa WikramanayakeTue 27 Feb 24

Grollo’s HOME Wins Approval for South Yarra BtR Project

The Bates Smart render for HOME (GFM Investments Group)'s proposed BTR project on Chapel Street in Melbourne's South Yarra.

It has taken several tribunal hearings but Daniel Grollo’s HOME platform now has planning permission for a build-to-rent project at South Yarra, Melbourne.

The site at 671 Chapel Street and 1 Forrest Hill, South Yarra, has gone through several rounds of planning and has been subject to many changes and amendments over the years.

Grollo bought the 2069sq m site in 2022 for $37.5 million, according to CoreLogic property data, which shows the site changed hands in December, 2021 and settled in March the next year.

The previous owner, fashion brand owner Harry Goles, had previously submitted plans for a 32-storey mixed-use tower.

Those plans were subsequently amended to remove 10 storeys and add a maternal and child health centre.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) intervened in 2020 to refuse the permit granted by the City of Stonnington Council in 2019, ruling it would cause too much pressure on Melbourne High School next to the site.

Grollo’s GFM Investments Group bought the site and filed plans for a 22-storey tower with 160 apartments and three podium levels, communal space, five basement levels, office space and retail space and amenities such as a pool, gym and lounge spaces.

Those plans showed 30 one, 91 two, and 37 three-bedroom units, and two penthouses, with a maximum of nine apartments a floor.

Although the permit was granted in December 2022, a case was filed with VCAT appealing against the council decision.

A view of the proposed project from Chapel Street level in Melbourne's South Yarra.
▲ A view of the proposed project from Chapel Street level at South Yarra.

Several hearings were held during 2023 and changes were made to the permit conditions.

GFM Investments Group applied to be allowed to file amended plans.

These plans by Bates Smart Architects cut the number of apartments from 160 to 130 with 39 one, 43 two, 48 three-bedroom apartments, and four basement levels instead of five.

There will also be a decrease in carparking spaces from 197 to 166, 14 two-tier car stackers introduced to add 28 carparking spaces, and an increase in bicycle storage spaces from 54 to 127.

ASIC records show that GFM Investments Group director is Daniel Grollo with an address that matches the HOME platform’s place of business at Richmond.

Data from BCI Central indicates that GFM Investments Group received planning permission from the Stonnington Council and from VCAT and that VCAT judge Geoffrey Code ruled the Stonnington Council had made an error in not including land at 1 Forrest Hill as part of the application when granting its planning permission.

He also ruled that it was an appropriate use of the land at 1 Forrest Hill and that there was no permission needed to change the use for that part of the site.

HOME has two built-to-rent sites currently operational in Richmond and Southbank in Melbourne with another site at Docklands set to be completed in 2024.

It also currently has plans for two projects at Parramatta and St Leonards in New South Wales. 

ResidentialBuild-to-RentMelbourneAustraliaPlanningPlanningSector
AUTHOR
Marisa Wikramanayake
The Urban Developer
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
4 Min
Woolloongabba Precinct Vulture St
Exclusive

Brisbane Developer in Cross River Rail Compensation Tussle

Clare Burnett
4 Min
The Mondrian Gold Coast hotel's food and beverage is driving profits
Exclusive

Touch, Taste, Theatre: What’s Driving Mondrian’s Success

Renee McKeown
6 Min
Fortis’ display suites are designed as brand environments first, with tactile details and curated design to build buyer confidence before project specifics.
Exclusive

Relevant or Redundant: Will Tech Kill Display Suites?

Vanessa Croll
7 Min
Exclusive

Missing Heart: Why The Gold Coast Needs a CBD

Phil Bartsch
7 Min
View All >
South Melbourne social housing precinct
Affordable & Social Housing

South Melbourne Housing Precinct Revamp Takes Next Step

Leon Della Bosca
The Adelaide purpose built student accommodation market is about to increase by 1058 beds with the State Commission Assessment Panel supporting two towers in the making.
Student Housing

Highrise Approvals Add 1000-Plus PBSA Beds in Adelaide

Renee McKeown
JQZ Parramatta EDM
Residential

JQZ Plots 10-Storey Addition to Parramatta ‘Auto Alley’ Plans

Clare Burnett
The Sydney developer is pushing ahead with a project it picked up following the collapse of Dyldam in 2020....
LATEST
South Melbourne social housing precinct
Affordable & Social Housing

South Melbourne Housing Precinct Revamp Takes Next Step

Leon Della Bosca
2 Min
The Adelaide purpose built student accommodation market is about to increase by 1058 beds with the State Commission Assessment Panel supporting two towers in the making.
Student Housing

Highrise Approvals Add 1000-Plus PBSA Beds in Adelaide

Renee McKeown
3 Min
JQZ Parramatta EDM
Residential

JQZ Plots 10-Storey Addition to Parramatta ‘Auto Alley’ Plans

Clare Burnett
3 Min
Stockland bumps up its apartment pipeline in melbourne and sydney
Exclusive

Stockland Re-Enters Density in $5bn Apartment Play

Renee McKeown
4 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/home-grollo-apartments-south-yarra-stonnington-melbourne-vcat-planning-permit