FREMANTLE LITTLE LANE CBD LIVING

 

 

The YOLK group has started the sale of new 1,2 and 3 bedroom apartments of its Little Lane development on the former Spotlight building site next to Target in Adelaide Street in Fremantle.

The seven-storey building will have residential apartments above a retail and cafe hub that will modernise and revitalise the run down Westgate Mall.

There are also plans for the development of the Woolstores shopping centre site and for a Hilton Doubletree hotel on the Point Street carpark site, which will reinvigorate the lacklustre east of the Freo CBD

Roel Loopers

GOOD ARCHITECTURE FOR FREMANTLE

 

 

The long time eyesore on the corner of Hampton Road and South Street in Fremantle will be developed into a modern attractive four storey residential and office development, after the City of Fremantle’s Planning Committee last night approved the alternate officer’s recommendation.

The building is designed by David Hillam Architects and will have eight multiple dwellings and two office tenancies, and will retain a portion of the heritage buildings on the site.

It is nice to see good modern architecture which fits the Fremantle lifestyle. I just wished that developers of major large developments would take more care and get outstanding architectural design.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE ENERGY MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT ABANDONED

 

 

It is disappointing to see that the MATCH Group has abandoned their plans for the M27 development of the former Energy Museum site at Parry Street in Fremantle.

The building is offered for sale on the property pages of the West Australian today.

The development would have seen a four-storey residential apartment building behind the heritage listed building, while the former museum building would have been developed into a Bread in Common style restaurant and retail hospitality venue.

Also disappointing to read in the West that Silverleaf Investments director Gerard O’Brien has stated that if JDAP does not approve the Woolstores shopping centre site development his company will pull out and only refurbish the boring existing building.

O’Brien told the West, as he has told me, that they are only the custodians of their buildings. If you are serious about that statement, Gerard, why not put just a bit more additional effort in to get it right and deliver Fremantle a truly exceptional and iconic building. You can do it. Come on!

Roel Loopers

UPDATE! Only just now at 10.20pm read an email from the Match Group that they have not abandoned plans to develop, but will need to get more details as to why they put the Energy Museum building up for sale, so stay tuned until I have talked to them.

FREO DEPOT SITE FOR SALE

 

 

In a surprise move the City of Fremantle has invited tenders for the sale of its Knutsford Street depot.

The 25,316m2 site is in a prime location opposite the Fremantle Public Golf Course and Fremantle City had been in negotiations with LandCorp for a long time to develop the site. LandCorp was however reluctant because of the high Green sustainability rating Fremantle Council wanted for the site, as it believed it would deter potential buyers and developers.

The Knutsford Street East Structure Plan was amended in 2017 to allow for increased height and density and  identifies the depot as a prime redevelopment site in Fremantle.

The City’s strategic plan specifically nominates the Knutsford East precinct as an area for development, while the One Planet Fremantle Strategy highlights the Knutsford depot site redevelopment as one of the City’s top five corporate actions.

The request for tender is for redevelopment of the site as a medium/high density mixed residential development incorporating leading edge environmental sustainability performance.

The City may be prepared to negotiate the sale of a portion of the site rather than the whole site, with the remaining area retained by the City as an industrial/mixed use operations centre.

Potential buyers can register interest at http://www.tenderlink.com/fremantle.

A decision to build a new depot or reconfigure a portion of the Knutsford Street site will be made once tenders have closed and the council is able to evaluate the best option based on the income generated and the preferences of the preferred tenderer.

The City of Fremantle has purchased a property in O’Connor for the new depot site.

Roel Loopers

HOUSE VALUE GROWTH FOR FREMANTLE

 

Figures released by Corelogic reveal that home owners in Fremantle do very well with the median value of their property growing daily over the past year

Homeowners in Fremantle saw a growth in their property value by  $ 168 a day, while those in North Fremantle saw a growth of  $ 512 per day and in South Fremantle that was $ 230 per day.

City Beach is doing best with $ 850 a day  while East Fremantle is not among the top twenty.

Roel Loopers

APARTMENTS FOR FREMANTLE WORKERS CLUB BUILDING

 

 

While most Fremantle people are aware of the demolition of the Queensgate building and part demolition of the former Myer building at Kings Square another demolition has remained largely unnoticed.

The former Workers Club building in Henry Street is also a demolition site to make way for a four-storey residential apartment development.

It is one of the rare opportunities to develop in the historic West End of Fremantle and the plans for the building look quite attractive, with the former Workers Club facade retained.

Another building in Henry Street, next to the Customs House that was recently bought by Notre Dame University, was auctioned on Friday, but I don’t know if it was sold.

Roel Loopers

COOL PROPOSAL FOR PARRY STREET

 

 

Finally a building application for Fremantle that passes my visual beauty test.

The plans for a four-storey mixed-use development at 18-26 Parry Street look pretty cool and different to me.

It will be tourist and residential apartment accommodation and cafe.

Check it all out at Have Your Say on the City of Fremantle website.

Roel Loopers

FREMANTLE TAKES BROADER VIEWS ON DEVELOPMENT

 

The new City of Fremantle Strategic Planning and Transport Committee met for the first time last evening at the Townhall with only two items on the agenda; the Kings Square public realm concept plan and Local Planning Policy 2.21-R60.

I reported on the Kings Square plans earlier this week so just some details of the new development plans draft that was considered and adopted last night. The entire draft can be viewed on-line on the CoF website. Click on agendas and minutes and view the agenda there.

Here some considerations that stood out for me:

Under clause 4.2.5 of the City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 4 (LPS4), the residential density of sites in the Local Centre, Neighbourhood Centre and Mixed Use zones may be increased up to R60 where the development application:

1. Proposes ‘mixed use development’ as defined in the City’s Scheme.
2. Would not be detrimental to the amenity of an area.

A policy has been prepared to provide guidance on the criteria against which impact on amenity will be assessed under Clause 4.2.5 of LPS4 in order to provide greater certainty and consistency of decision-making, and promote better built form and community outcomes. The draft policy has the following key elements:

Recognise that mixed use zones and local/neighbourhood centres have potential to accommodate higher density and intensity, but within which new development should acknowledge and be respectful of existing / traditional development as part of a responsible evolution.

Stipulate that the deemed-to-comply standards (excluding site area) of the base density are acceptable as a starting point for R60 development.

Where the base code deemed-to-comply standards are not met, consider variations up to the R60 coding only where assessed to not be detrimental to the surrounding area based on a series of considerations as set out in the policy relating to the impact on amenity; including impact on streetscape, heritage character, neighbour amenity, traffic and safety, impact on trees and quality of the built environment.

Stipulate some specific requirements / expectations in regards to commonly contested aspects including that plot ratio in excess of the deemed-to-comply standard for R60 will not be supported.

Require a site context assessment to accompany any proposal seeking an increase in density beyond the base coding.

It should be noted that the clause seeks to avoid detrimental amenity to the area rather than to specific individual lots, which requires Council to take a broader view of impact than solely that of the neighbour/s. Similarly, the definition of amenity in the Planning Regulations defines this in relation to the character of an area. This does not, of course, preclude neighbour impacts from forming a key consideration in assessing amenity impacts. The reference to ‘future amenity’ allows for application of the definition in new development areas or areas subject to revitalisation schemes and the like.

Site analysis and design response: requiring the preparation of these to inform any proposal

Orientation: requiring proposals to “respond to the streetscape and site while optimising solar access within the development” and building form and orientation which “minimises overshadowing on neighbouring properties”

Existing tree retention: requiring mature trees on site (or are clearly identifiable on site through aerial images from the last 5 years) for retention or replacement or offset Deep soil areas (12% of site where no trees retained): to support healthy plant and tree growth, and provision of trees proportionate to the size of the site

Communal and public open space: where more than 10 dwellings are proposed

Visual privacy: including a ‘cone of vision’ similar to that specified under the R-Codes (albeit lesser) and a minimum of 25% of the perimeter of balconies unscreened, and a requirement to site and design development to “increase privacy without compromising access to light and air and balance outlook and views from habitable rooms and private open space”

Public domain interface: considering CEPTED principles and promoting a functional and pleasing interface with the street which makes provision for services, landscaping of terraces and excludes parking

Pedestrian access and entries: which requires safe and ‘legible’ entries to buildings

Vehicle access points: requiring these to be designed and located to minimise streetscape impacts whilst avoiding conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles

Car and bicycle parking: to be provided at specified rates and designed to be functional but minimise visual impact

 

Roel Loopers

 

 

LIV APARTMENTS REVEALED

 

 

Scaffolding is coming down on the LIV apartment building in Queen Victoria and Quarry streets, allowing glimpses of what is to come.

Some of the windows in Quarry Street appear to be very large, so let’s wait and see till August when the building is supposed to open.

Roel Loopers

NORTH FREMANTLE GOOD PROPERTY INVESTMENT

 

North Fremantle was the leading suburb in real estate price growth in 2017 according to REIWA.

Median house prices in North Freo jumped by 26.3%, with Applecross coming second with 24% and Dalkeith third with 20.9%.

Bicton also did well with a 17% increase in median house prices.

 

Roel Loopers