Construction begins at Live City, the $750 million Footscray regeneration project

Construction begins at Live City, the $750 million Footscray regeneration project
Jonathan ChancellorDecember 7, 2020

R&F Property Australia has today turned the sod on what will become one of Footscray’s most significant and largest urban regeneration projects – Live City.

The site represents a new era for the Kinnears Ropeworks factory. 

The site is centrally positioned between the Victoria University, Western Hospital and Highpoint Shopping Centre.

The sit is being repurposed into a residential and mixed-use precinct of up to 1,450 dwellings.

Built in 1908, the former Kinnears Ropeworks will require econservation works to be undertaken and R&F Property Australia has told River and Yarraville Ward councillors it is committed to honouring the factory’s industrial past.

It is R&F Property Australia’s first development in Victoria after purchasing the site in August 2016. 

Its experienced development team have been working with Heritage Victoria over the past 18 months to design and deliver an exciting new precinct which carefully balances the site’s State Heritage listing.

Construction begins at Live City, the $750 million Footscray regeneration project

R&F Property Australia vice president Thomas Chiu said the project will create a lively community.

“Live City will set the tone for Footscray’s newest precinct with conservation of three heritage buildings, approximately 1,450 apartments, specialty retail, commercial offices and public spaces to bring this vibrant new community to life,” he said.

“The development comes with a vision to create a sustainable hub that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding local neighbourhood, along with increased housing and amenity for Melbourne’s inner- west.

We want to create lively communities that have good transport connections, shops, cafes and access to employment and education facilities,” Mr Chiu said.

Development will be staged over the next 6-8 years, to incorporate six precincts with a project total end value estimated at $750 million.

The first stage of Live City is located on the site’s western edge between Ballarat Road and Kinnears Street and will feature 208 residential apartments within three buildings.

Construction begins at Live City, the $750 million Footscray regeneration project

Heights will vary between eight and eighteen storeys and will comprise a mix of retail, residential and carparking facilities on the ground level.

R&F Property Australia is part of R&F Properties, a global property development group.

Its offices in Melbourne and Brisbane, R&F Property Australia works closely with all levels of government, industry partners, local contractors and communities to create high-quality, high-demand mixed-use, residential, commercial, and urban development projects.

For more information click here.

 

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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