City of Melbourne gets busy as caretaker mode kicks in this week
All Victorians, except those residing within the boundary of the City of Greater Geelong, will head to the polls to elect their next council on Saturday 22nd October and the City of Melbourne is certainly getting busy before caretaker modes kicks off this week on the 21st of September.
On Monday morning the council announced it 'proposes to enter into a commercial arrangement with Cairo Melbourne Pty Ltd for a residential and commercial development to be built on a portion of the former JH Boyd School in Southbank'.
The new agreement reinforces our commitment to transform the former school site into a key civic centre and provide much needed open space for Southbank residents, workers and visitors.
Retail shops will be located on the ground level with 200 residential apartments in the floors above.
Twenty per cent of the development, 46 apartments, will be affordable housing. The apartments will comply with liveable housing guidelines which mean they will be safe, comfortable and easy to access for people of all ages and abilities.
Robert Doyle, Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Cairo Melbourne Pty Ltd has agreed to pay $15.5 million for the cost of the land sale and the proposed sale will be considered by Council before the end of 2016, a City of Melbourne media release states.
Last Future Melbourne committee meeting before caretaker period
According to the agenda posted on the council's website, the last Future Melbourne committee meeting to be held before the caretaker period will see multiple items discussed at the meeting on the 20th of September.
71-87 City Road, Southbank has a recommendation that council not support the application based on height and setbacks '[do] not provide an appropriate transition to adjoining areas, dominates the urban form, does not consider the equitable development potential of adjoining lots'.
488-494 La Trobe Street, West Melbourne carries a recommendation that council support the proposal subject to a height reduction that deletes one podium and one tower level. The site saw a proposal for a 98m residential building in late 2014 which was subsequently knocked back by council and VCAT upheld the council's decision.
Lend Lease have submitted an application to alter the Victoria Harbour Development Plan (2010) that would see a reduction in commercial uses (retail and/or office space) and an increase in residential uses in Collins Wharf - the last remaining undeveloped portion of Victoria Harbour. The report to the committee notes that Lend Lease has included an additional 5,000 square metres of public realm under the proposed 'Victoria Harbour Collins Wharf Development Plan (2015)'.
383 La Trobe Street, Melbourne has a recommendation that council support the 70-level, mixed-use residential & hotel proposal.
The last Future Melbourne committee meeting will also decide on a proposal that is 100% within the purview of City of Melbourne: 271 Spring Street, Melbourne. The recommendation is that council provides a 'Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit' for the proposal that has drawn the ire of some in the Urban.com.au community.
The September 20th meeting agenda also carries an item titled "Better Apartments Draft Design Standards Submission" yet at the time of writing, the document had not been uploaded to the council's website.