Missing Link Towers Backed Amid Perth City Disquiet
Two 30-storey towers have been recommended for approval at the 13.5ha city link renewal precinct despite objections from the City of Perth over noise from the adjacent party precinct of Northbridge.
The first of two towers State decision makers will consider for the Perth city link—which by sinking the Fremantle railway line has joined the CBD to Northbridge—is a 33-storey student housing project at 18-28 Telethon Avenue.
That site is owned by Seven Entertainment—long run by the family of which billionaire Kerry Stokes is patriarch—but is under contract to Perth-based developer Sirona Urban.
Ahead of a Central Perth Land Redevelopment Committee meeting on April 13, DevelopmentWA executive general manager planning and assets Matt Ryan has recommended that Sirona’s project (pictured top) be approved. If the committee agrees to the recommendation, the proposal will progress to the board of DevelopmentWA for a final decision.
The vacant site has been earmarked for a skyscraper since a 43- to 49-storey residential tower was approved in August 2015 with 506 car bays.
But the tower never materialised.
The new $170-million building, if approved, would have 854 beds of student housing from Levels 2 to 32 in single, twin and shared living units.
The ground floor would host four car bays for service provision, four motorcycle bays, 120 bicycle bays, a car bay for people living with a disability, and no car bays for residents.
Level 1 would accommodate a reception, laundry, kitchen, gym and outdoor terraces. A lower-ground level will accommodate two tenancies for a shop, cafe or restaurant.
The proposed tower, designed by Perth-based MJA Studio, seeks to develop the western half of the lot. In his report, Ryan said there was no requirement to develop the eastern segment but that Sirona would likely do so soon, possibly for build-to-rent housing.
The City of Perth lodged an objection to the plans, saying the project’s acoustic report was not adequate for Northbridge where resident complaints about night club noise has long been an issue.
In response, Sirona presented a revised report that included updated noise modelling and recommended inclusion of improved façade treatments. Ryan said both measures would address the City’s concerns.
Sirona managing director Matthew McNeilly told The Urban Developer that international students each injected about $43,000 into WA’s economy annually.
He said Perth’s CBD did not have much activity at night and on weekends but that would change.
“Students need evening and weekend options, and new living accommodation types will follow,” he said.
Build-to-rent tower recommended
The second tower Ryan has recommended for approval at the Perth city link is his own agency’s application for a 30-storey build-to-rent affordable and social housing project at Lot 6 Roe Street.
The 174-unit project, also designed by MJA Studio, will be considered for approval when the board of WA’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority meets on April 29.
DevelopmentWA’s application proposes 35 social and 139 affordable units in a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom configurations. The affordable housing units would each have a balcony and be capped at a maximum of 74.9 per cent of the market rental rate for the area.
To be built by Icon Construction and operated by a community housing provider, the $114-million tower would include seven car bays for residents and staff and a 62-bay bicycle storage room.
The proposal is one of more than a dozen social and affordable housing projects DevelopmentWA obtained funding for through the Housing Australia Future Fund.
The City also lodged an objection to the DevelopmentWA proposal, again arguing that planned noise attenuation was inadequate.
“The future operation of entertainment venues, including the directly adjacent Metro City nightclub, will adversely impact on the amenity of future occupants,unless the development is design[ed] and constructed to suitably attenuate noise in accordance with the requirements of the Northbridge Special Entertainment Precinct Special Control Area,” the City said.
DevelopmentWA also submitted a revised acoustic report detailing improved façade treatments, which Ryan’s report again said had addressed the City’s concerns.
On completion, the Perth city link will create 1650 new apartments catering for a residential population of about 3000 people and with 244,000sq m of office and retail space.
