WOBO apartments launch in North Melbourne's new Tapestry precinct
After successfully selling down a number of apartments off market, Orb Property Partners has hit the go button on WOBO, in the North Melbourne Tapestry precinct which is set to be a game changer for the area.
WOBO, designed by Fender Katsilidis, is part of the first stage of Tapestry, the 1.4-hectare lifestyle-led project bounded by Alfred Street and Boundary Road.
WOBO will comprise 99 one, two and three-bedroom warehouse-style apartments. All one-beds have already been snapped up, leaving two and three-bedrooms starting from $590,000.
Orb Property Partners Director David Wardlaw said it had been a long hard road to getting the project live, having initially bought the site well over a decade ago.
"The philosophy was to make a community-focused precinct which would bring in a diverse mix of residents, from frontline workers to young families and downsizers," Wardlaw said.
"We looked at some of the best lifestyle precincts in the world, from the US to Europe, and tried to create something similar in Melbourne, far and above what's come before."
There was a conscious effort during the design and development phase from Orb and FK to cater for families, who Wardlaw says aren't really catered for in the modern day apartment developments.
"We tried to encourage a family lifestyle, with larger apartments crafted with dedicated kids zones. We want families to be integrated with the community."
The precinct will feature significant communal facilities in the form of a sustainable wellness centre, fresh food marketplace, co-working spaces, alfresco areas, and the Private Members Lounge complete with a central fireplace and modular lounges, designed to bring the residents of WOBO together.
The ground level will be activated with everything a resident could need, with premium retail, cafes and restaurants, as well as a bar, bakery, hairdressers, beauty salon and a medical centre.
The apartments merge the industrial heritage of North Melbourne with the cool, loft-style living of New York. Living spaces are framed by white oak, while timber floors lie under foot, with exposed concrete ceilings above.
Light and bright kitchens of refined joinery, premium SMEG appliances and natural stone benchtops connect to bathrooms, fitted with future-retro style fluted glass and bronze finishes.
Part of the design brief was for the apartments to have sustainability benefits.
There's solar panels on the rooftops, a state of the art organic energy plant in the precinct, electric vehicle shares cars, and the retail and hospitality venues will be waste free.
Projects by Buxton Director Heath Thompson says Tapestry will be the preeminent hub of North Melbourne when it’s completed in 2026, with a community-led precinct at its core.
"We're seeing a complete suite of demographics, with investors, slightly older first home buyers, and families all showing interest," Thompson says.
"We anticipate there to be some regional buyers who are looking for a city bolthole, as well as those on the fringes of Melbourne like Seddon and Footscray. It will have a broad appeal."
Genuine prospective buyers at WOBO can walk around the floorplans in real life at the nearby Big Plans warehouse space, which allows buyers to literally walk around the apartment they're looking at buying, with the floorplan projected onto the floor. Furniture on wheels allows buyers to get a true sense as to how they would live in the apartments.
Demolition on site is expected to be complete toward Q2 2024, with construction to kick off soon after. Completion is slated for early 2026.
