South Melbourne a magnet for new residential tower applications
A rush of planning applications either side of the festive break are cumulatively seeking to add to South Melbourne's robust development scene, with four major apartment projects lodged.
City of Port Phillip will now assess the respective merits of the fresh applications, along with a handful of other noteworthy towers already at planning that when combined, would provide the popular suburb with thousands of new apartments.
Most recent to planning was 9-13 Park Street, landing with Council in the new year. The current low-rise commercial complex spanning the site is expected to make way for a multi-storey apartment building.
The arrival of 9-13 Park Street follows on from December's lodgement of plans for the adjoining 5-7 Park Street, with that application landing at Council four days prior to Christmas. Located next to Sol Sapir-designed Hallmark which spans 19 levels and includes 155 apartments, the prime 5-7 Park Street plot is currently occupied by a nondescript house that is home to brothel Cherry Blossoms.
Expected to replace the venue is a 20 storey mixed-use building set above basement car parking.
41-49 Bank Street also entered planning last month, with developer Guangdong Carrington Real Estate Group seeking the right to deliver a 19 level residential tower comprising 174 apartments.
Having secured the 1,441sqm site during late 2015 for over $15 million, Guangdong elected not to proceed with an approved scheme which at a point was known as Aero Apartments during its failed marketing campaign.
Rounding out the quartet is 1-13 Cobden Street which has been subject to development overtones for some years. Agent Lemon Baxter handled the site's sale during 2014, with the plot now subject to a mixed use building containing 229 dwellings and retail spaces at ground level.
With this South Melbourne pocket underpinned by Park Street and Albert Road perennially popular with developers and soon to boast its own metro station, Urban.com.au is tracking 7 additional projects with 14 levels and above in the immediate area.
Projects that have yet to reach a planning outcome, or have yet to begin construction include Australian Unity's 114-130 Albert Road, Milbex's 37-43 Park Street, Niche at 33 Park Street, the combined 13-21 Palmerston Crescent / 28-32 Albert Road and 200-204 Wells Street.
The latter, seen above, is a recent candidate for approval and consists of an Artisan Architects-designed 20 level tower with 201 apartments.
Set on a 1,543sqm plot, the scheme for 15 Park Street Pty Ltd includes 75 single and 126 dual bedroom apartments.
Lead image: Bob Mical, Flickr