An approved Footscray development takes flight once more

An approved Footscray development takes flight once more
Mark BaljakMay 22, 2018

Aviation Consolidated Holdings is looking to rework an already approved design across Footscray's 26-34 Buckley Street.

Design Consortia Australia has taken on design duties in order to adjust a Rothelowman-approved high density scheme of 139 apartments & 5 townhouses for the corner site. The most recent iteration costing $40 million is currently before Maribyrnong City Council and would see overall dwellings drop to 134.

Under revised plans townhouses drop to 3 and are in addition to 27 single and 104 double bedroom apartments. Also in tow are 137 car parking bays, a fitness-oriented communal area, provisions for 142 bicycles and a 150 square metre ground floor commercial space.

An approved Footscray development takes flight once more
Rothelowman and DCA schemes side by side

From a design perspective, Design Consortia Australia's version adheres for the most to the approved dimensions and finishes of the permitted design.

Maribyrnong City Council raised initial concerns regarding the reworked application's inability to achieve an acceptable design outcome. As a result, Design Consortia Australia addresses the north and east aspects of the building in order to provide a more suitable and articulated finish.

26-34 Buckley Street's high density aspirations began in 2014 when Dobinson Nominees selected Rothelowman for the design of a 16 storey residential building containing 182 dwellings.

With approval in place, the 1,890 square metre site was offered for sale mid last year.

An approved Footscray development takes flight once more
Belgravia Apartments. Image: Motto Group

Aviation Consolidated Holdings picked up the approved Footscray development site in the second half of 2017 after offloading a major South Melbourne island site for $41 million earlier last year. That 4,630 square metre site holds frontages to Cecil Street, York Street, Northumberland Street and Market Street.

According to CBRE the $41 million sales price represented an 86% price gain since it last transacted in 2013. GLG Group was the buyer of the South Melbourne development site.

26-34 Buckley Street holds an opposing corner to Belgravia Apartments at 16 Buckley Street; the project backed by Motto Group which is at the registrations of interest stage will see approximately 100 apartments built on the former site of the Belgravia Hotel.

Mark Baljak

Mark Baljak was a co-founder of Urban.com.au. He passed away on Thursday 8th of November 2018 after a battle with cancer. He was 37. Mark was a keen traveller, having visited all six permanently-inhabited continents and had a love of craft beer. One of his biggest passions was observing the change that has occurred in Melbourne over the past two decades. In that time he built an enormous library of photos, all taken by him, which tracked the progress of construction on building sites from across metropolitan Melbourne.

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