The Tannery and Hopkins Street launch Footscray's Joseph Road Precinct
Footscray's Joseph Road Precinct looks set to receive its first taste of construction with separate apartment projects launching their respective sales campaigns. The Tannery and 18-24 Byron Bay Property are vanguard projects for the precinct which will eventually see dozens of new towers on what is now vacant land.
Long a topic of discussion on Urban.com.au, Joseph Road Precinct has seen a number of prime sites snapped up by Asian and Asian-backed developers, who have both the financial means and bravado to proceed with their intended projects.
First out of the blocks is 18-24 Hopkins Street which will see the delivery of five separate residential towers. Listed in the Urban.com.au project database as having 968 approved apartments,18-24 Byron Bay Property may also see a 1,500 sqm supermarket, showrooms and 18 retail spaces at ground level. While these form part of the approved scheme, the final composition of retail and entertainment options, and apartment numbers has yet to be revealed.
Located on a 9,500 sqm land parcel, 18-24 Byron Bay Property is the work of architects Peddle Thorp and will see a mixture of one, two and three bedroom dwellings included in the development with a starting price of $255,000. The project website carries a promotional video which appears to show the developer as AW Group, although the video is somewhat ambiguous in this regard.
Joining 18-24 Byron Bay Property is The Tannery which is the largest project that Australian Property & Business Group has offered to date. The 1,725sqm site was reportedly sold for $5 million during early 2015 with Australian Property & Business Group wasting no time in creating a project website for the 15 level project.
Featuring 54 one bedroom and 80 two bedroom dwellings, sales have begun in earnest with a dozen apartments listed as sold via the project website. Priced from $325,000, construction is anticipated to begin in the latter part of this year.
Comment
Jospeh Road Precinct has been covered previously on Urban.com.au with the issue of infrastructure and amenity at the fore in order to facilitate development.
Joseph Street Precinct absolutely needs an initial infrastructure boost from the State government in order to promote the area as more than a current industrial wasteland. Implementing a road network and delivering some much needed civic works, particularly to Maribyrnong River, may just be the key to unlocking a flow of development that would begin the long sought transformation of the precinct.
The quandry that is Hopkins Street Precinct, Urban.com.au, October 17 2014
Now that development will proceed regardless, will the millions required to provide an adequate road network and amenity match the million dollar views on offer? Even with developer levies/contributions, it's a sizeable yet necessary task to get the required infrastructure in early; the alternative will be shiny new towers and hundreds of residents surrounded by vacant land and dilapidated public spaces.
The initial failings of Docklands should not be mirrored in Joseph Street Precinct.
