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Prime development sites continue to pour into the market, with some new and noteworthy land offerings freshly loaded onto sister website <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/">Development Sites Melbourne</a>.

As always the bulk of listings present as residential opportunities, with the vast majority found in suburban Melbourne. This reinforces the current trend whereby developers of both existing and prospective land holdings are favouring inner and middle suburbs over the heart of Melbourne.

One of the more prominent new listings comes in the form of <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/coburg/35-urquhart-street">35 Urquhart Street, Coburg</a> which forms part of the former Pentridge site. With Shayher Group and Future Estate established developers within the emerging Pentridge Precinct, 35 Urquhart Street is a sizeable 4,645sqm land holding with approval in place for 250 apartments, although RotheLowman have a scheme on offer potentially increasing the site's yield to 334 apartments.

Also one to watch is <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/sunshine/499-ballarat-road">499 Ballarat Road, Sunshine</a>. Within the intended Sunshine National Employment Cluster, the 10,920sqm gateway site comes with an Approved Development Plan allowing a major mixed-use project of approximately 12-14 storeys with the total approved NSA approaching 65,000sqm.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image26_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Coburg and Sunshine developments offer views towards Melbourne's CBD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="169" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image26_2.jpg?itok=hqhOdjXK" title="Coburg and Sunshine developments offer views towards Melbourne's CBD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Coburg and Sunshine developments offer views towards Melbourne's CBD</figcaption></figure>Brunswick has something substantial to offer with the dual-fronted <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/sunshine/499-ballarat-road">125-131 Brunswick Road</a> listed at 5,100sqm. Set over eleven title allotments, the combined site has street frontage to Brunswick Road (45m) and Barkly Street (52m), and is positioned midway between Sydney Road and Lygon Street.

In nearby Fitzroy, <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/fitzroy/44-brunswick-street">44 Brunswick Street</a> has been listed with 18 luxury apartments approved atop what is now the Metropole Hotel. On offer are fully leased ground level hotel facilities, a penthouse apartment, car parking, plus building air rights which include the aforementioned apartment which are designed by Sgourakis Architects.

Maintaining the inner north-west theme and Kensington has two development sites on offer. <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/kensington/393-399-macaulay-road">393-399 Macaulay Road</a> maintains three street frontages and an overall site are of 1,551sqm. Holding Mixed Use zoning, six to eight levels is the nominated development outcome for the site which sits between two train stations.

<a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/kensington/51-61-hardiman-street">51-61 Hardiman Street</a> is also up for grabs, the the tri-fronted 1,107sqm development site abutting a current planning application seeking an eight level outcome.

Ever popular Footscray has a substantial development site on offer by way of <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/footscray/26-30-buckley-street">26-30 Buckley Street</a>. The 1,890sqm site holds approval for a RotheLowman-designed apartment scheme of 139 apartments and five townhouses. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image27_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Kensington and Footscray come with mid-rise intentions"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="193" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image27_4.jpg?itok=vakFTsPK" title="Kensington and Footscray come with mid-rise intentions" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Kensington and Footscray come with mid-rise intentions</figcaption></figure>Skipping to the southern side of Melbourne's CBD and three prominent sites are on offer. 

<a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/highett/1-5-dart-street">1-5 Dart Street, Highett</a> is a permit approved development of 32 apartments. In addition to the eight Highett residential projects found within the Apartments.com.au Project Database, 1-5 Dart Street which is over a 2,103sqm site adds to the growing popularity of Highett as an emerging apartment hub.

Windsor and Richmond round out the more notable recent development site listings. <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/windsor/168-peel-street">168 Peel Street</a> is a development opportunity set behind red brick edifices. 168 Peel Street is one of the limited development sites emanating from Windsor with the 817sqm land holding capable of accommodating a higher density outcome.
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silvermb

Current suburban development sites reinforce the prevailing development trend

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Relative newcomer <a href="/developers/dcf-property">DCF Property</a> has made a play for a mixed-use tower in the rapidly expanding fringe CBD pocket opposite Flagstaff Gardens.

With two low-rise apartment projects to their name, DCF Property are seeking to greatly expand their presence with <a href="/buildings/407-415-king-street-west-melbourne">407-415 King Street</a>. Now Flagstaff House, the West Melbourne corner site plays host to the two to three storey building which carries an individual Heritage Overlay, affording the property a B grade listing.

While the existing exterior would be incorporated under the proposal, design lead <a href="/architects/plus-architecture">Plus Architecture</a> have added a 23 level tower above which would host both a hotel and apartments.

407-415 King Street abuts two development sites. <a href="/developers/samma-property-group">SPEC Property</a> are actively marketing Flagstaff Green apartments fronting Batman Street while Haileybury College have recently completed an overhaul of 383 King Street, itself subject to a failed application for a 75 metre apartment building in recent years.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/flagstaff_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="407-415 King Street. Image - Plus Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/flagstaff_2.jpg?itok=XH5afeHn" title="407-415 King Street. Image - Plus Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>407-415 King Street. Image - Plus Architecture</figcaption></figure>​

<h2>407-415 King Street application summary</h2>

<ul>
<li>Submitted May 2016</li>
	<li>Existing 930sqm site home to heritage listed Flagstaff House</li>
	<li>Proposed 23 level mixed-use building at 81.3 metres atop Flagstaff House</li>
	<li>158 hotel suites</li>
	<li>70 apartments: 19 x 1BR, 47 x 2BR, 4 x Penthouse</li>
	<li>Hotel office, gym, meeting and function rooms, restaurant/bar</li>
	<li>Level 12 communal area and rooftop garden</li>
	<li>64 car parking spaces and 44 bicycle bays over four basement levels</li>
	<li>Estimated cost of development: $50 million</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/flagstaff_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="407-415 King Street. Image - Plus Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="821" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/flagstaff_3.jpg?itok=-tPCcJnh" title="407-415 King Street. Image - Plus Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>407-415 King Street. Image - Plus Architecture</figcaption></figure>​

Flagstaff House is a Yuncken Freeman design which was completed during 1968, with the heritage overlay covering the exterior only. Thus the development calls for only the facade to be retained, with the tower to rise behind.

The project's hotel and apartment components are separated by a design feature midway up the tower which also houses communal facilities. Plus Architecture refer to the separation as a truss feature, drawing a design parallel to Yuncken Freeman's timeless 140 William Street found within <a href="/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">Melbourne's CBD</a>.

One and two bedroom dwellings aside, the planning application calls for a sprawling whole floor penthouse. At 439sqm, the four bedroom penthouse shapes as one of, if not the largest apartment created within <a href="/new-apartments/west-melbourne-vic-3003">West Melbourne</a>.

Set above the penthouse is a 236sqm rooftop garden.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image23_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="407-415 King Street was once Yuncken Freeman's offices. Image: Wikipedia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="358" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image23_4.jpg?itok=eLNGkb7k" title="407-415 King Street was once Yuncken Freeman's offices. Image: Wikipedia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>407-415 King Street was once Yuncken Freeman's offices. Image: Wikipedia</figcaption></figure>To date DCF Property's presence on the Apartments.com.au Project Database has been limited to two projects in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

<a href="/buildings/inqu-140-cotham-road-kew">INQU at 140-142 Cotham Road, Kew</a> is completed with <a href="/builders/orange-building-solutions">Orange Building Solutions</a> delivering the project encompassing 40 apartments, six retail tenancies and one restaurant. DCF Property's other current pursuit is for a vacant block in Balwyn North.

76-78 Doncaster Road is a DKO Architecture-designed residential project which if approved adds another 60 apartments on the developer's books.

<h2>407-415 King Street development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: DCF Property</li>
	<li>Architect: Plus Architecture</li>
	<li>Planning: Planning and Property Partners</li>
	<li>ESD, Structural &amp; Services engineer: WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff</li>
	<li>Heritage: Bryce Raworth</li>
	<li>Traffic: Traffix</li>
	<li>Waste: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>Wind: SLR Consulting</li>
</ul>
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DCF Property looks to capitalise atop Flagstaff Hill

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City of Moonee Valley's two main drivers, Essendon and Moonee Ponds, continue to bubble along in terms of apartment development.

Growland's 343-349 Ascot Vale Road has been joined at planning by CBD Development Group's 1144 Mt Alexander Road. These recently submitted applications are set to add hundreds of new apartments to Moonee Ponds and Essendon respectively, with the latter to also house a full size Coles supermarket and commercial space.

Combined with Caydon's phase 2 of the former Readings site, the three shape as City of Moonee Valley's three most notable projects at planning.

The Readings or Moonee Ponds Market site now resembles a construction site with LU Simon initiating works during July on the first phase of the massive residential development which will yield in excess of 600 apartments. Of interest is phase 2 of the development which if approved will deliver Moonee Ponds its tallest building.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/fkmp1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Podium perspective of Caydon's Moonee Ponds tallest. Planning image: Fender Katsalidis"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="484" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/fkmp1.jpg?itok=4iIZ1cfd" title="Podium perspective of Caydon's Moonee Ponds tallest. Planning image: Fender Katsalidis" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Podium perspective of Caydon's Moonee Ponds tallest. Planning image: Fender Katsalidis</figcaption></figure>A fair proportion of the 691 dwellings earmarked for phase 2 are found within a proposed 34 level tower designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects. At 107 metres it would comfortably surpass Mondo Tower's 17 levels to become Moonee Ponds' tallest building. See more renders <a href="/news">on the forum</a>.

Diagonally opposite the Readings development, The Moloney Group's 14 level apartment project at 33 Hall Street is at marketing and poised to deliver Moonee Ponds another high-rise.

Supporting these larger projects is a squad of medium and smaller apartment developments. <a href="/developments/moonee-ponds-vic-3039">28-30 Young Street</a>'s construction tender recently closed as did <a href="/buildings/parkside-apartments-64-keilor-road-essendon-north">Parkside</a>'s, while a host of additional projects such as Esse, Kin, The Alexander, MOPO and Alexa are under construction.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image7_9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Alexa and a nearly complete Leake Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="253" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image7_9.jpg?itok=iY2wzxUj" title="Alexa and a nearly complete Leake Street" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Alexa and a nearly complete Leake Street</figcaption></figure>From a sales perspective, two additional projects are poised to be offered to the public.

<a href="/buildings/curve-294-296-keilor-road-essendon-north">Curve Apartments</a> on Keilor Road is a Rothelowman-designed low-rise development on what was once a service station. While the final configuration is unknown, planning for the project envisaged 74 apartments.

Also set to launch is Alexandria at 852 Mt Alexander Road. Perched above Essendon Junction, Alexandria is an 11 Dimensions-designed 8 level apartment project with near on 60 apartments included. With the finishing touches currently being applied to the display, Alexandria is one of 6 apartment projects surrounding Essendon Station.

The largest of these is Revel Development Group's <a href="/new-apartments/linc-19-russell-street-essendon">13-21 Russell Street</a> which in its submitted version included 99 dwellings. The project was given the green light by VCAT earlier this year.

Apartments.com.au's Project Database has Mooneey Valley's major apartment centres containing the following number of active apartments: Essendon North with 370, Essendon with 666 and Moonee Ponds with a substantial 2,242.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image_33.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Keilor Road's Curve. Image: curveessendon.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="301" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_33.jpg?itok=9-QQ6CcC" title="Keilor Road's Curve. Image: curveessendon.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Keilor Road's Curve. Image: curveessendon.com.au</figcaption></figure>
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Moonee Valley flush with development activity

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The heart of Footscray is in for more change as Banco Group looks to facilitate the development of an underutilised tract of land.

With the balance of the sizeable site an at grade car park, 14 Albert Street has been earmarked for a mixed-use development. In addition to residential apartments, a cinema, supermarket, speciality shops, aged care facility, medical centres and a restaurant have all been included within the JAM Architects-designed proposal.

In its revised application, the development team has also sought to maintain activity around the development post hours.

According to the Urban Context Report, "It has long been a desire of Council to consolidate core retail within this precinct as well as facilitate a number of night-time activities that aid in maintaining security and preventing undesirables loitering within the Centre."

<h2>14 Albert Street Footscray application summary</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image30_8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Aerial perspective of the development. Planning image: JAM Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="582" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image30_8.jpg?itok=7uvDyJsJ" title="Aerial perspective of the development. Planning image: JAM Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Aerial perspective of the development. Planning image: JAM Architects</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Site area: 4,776sqm with three sizeable street frontages</li>
	<li>Current use: Commercial car park</li>
	<li>Proposed 13 and 19 storey mixed use development at 64.4m</li>
	<li>235 apartments: 146 x 1BR, 89 x 2BR</li>
	<li>Six cinema complex</li>
	<li>Medical centre on first floor and a two level nursing home above</li>
	<li>Supermarket and retail space totalling 2,469sqm</li>
	<li>420 car parking spaces over two basement levels and 180 bicycle bays</li>
	<li>Public realm upgrades along each of the Albert, Paisley and Grench Street frontages</li>
</ul>
<h2>Project features</h2>

14 Albert Street's ground level is anchored by a 1,206sqm supermarket, with 8 additional retail tenancies in tow. Dual courtyards also front Paisley Street and Albert Street.

Level 1 sees a function room, cafe, restaurant, outdoor terrace and the aforementioned cinemas ring additional car parking located through the podium. Level 2 is monopolised by 13 medical suites whilst level 3 is dedicated to ancillary aged care services.

120 aged care suites consume the following two levels, with level four including an outdoor terrace. Residential apartments follow thereafter and are supported by two expansive outdoor terraces.

<h2>Banco times three</h2>

14 Albert Street follows in the footsteps of Banco Group's first foray into the area by way of 18 Albert Street. Completed by Hacer during 2014, 18 Albert Street saw the construction of residential apartments above Footscray Plaza.

Also designed by JAM Architects, 18 Albert Street's revamp also brought a sizeable public artwork to the area, with the installation of a 240-square-metre screen on Albert Street and Pailsey Street. According to LED manufacturer Megabay, "The screen titled ‘<a href="http://www.megabay.com.au/recent-projects">Centricity</a>’, is Victoria’s largest LED-programmed steel sculpture designed by Melbourne artist Matthew Harding and symbolises Footscray’s diversity."

With 14 Albert Street set to join 18 Albert Street, Banco Group via their entity Paisley Pty Ltd still have a remaining central Footscray development site in the works, likely to be the nearby Forges site which will be subject to a separate planning application.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/174_a.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The revamped Footscray Plaza. Image: Hacer"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="294" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/174_a.jpg?itok=fKBPBd0g" title="The revamped Footscray Plaza. Image: Hacer" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The revamped Footscray Plaza. Image: Hacer</figcaption></figure><h2>14 Albert Street Footscray development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Paisley Pty Ltd / Banco Group</li>
	<li>Architect: JAM Architects</li>
	<li>Planning: G2 Urban Planning</li>
	<li>Traffic &amp; waste Assessment: Salt 3</li>
	<li>Sustainable Management Plan: Edifice</li>
	<li>Landscape Plan: Rush Wright and Associates</li>
	<li>Wind impact Assessment: MEL Consultants</li>
</ul>
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Banco pushes further into Footscray

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Of the 107 listings falling within City of Yarra throughout the Apartments.com.au Project Database, a mere seven are solely commercial in use.

Whilst residential projects rule the roost, recent months have seen three of the municipality's larger commercial developments enter planning. These projects are set to be joined by what shapes as Fitzroy's tallest commercial development, located at 151-159 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy.

After recently acquiring the 1,684sqm corner block, expanding local developer Angelo Property Group in conjunction with Pulitano Transport Group is looking to press ahead with the outfit's largest project thus far. At 16 levels the commercial tower shapes as a significant addition to Fitzroy's skyline, and will also boost the area's largest commercial footprint.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_2022.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendered image of Angelo Property Group's intended 151-159 Victoria Parade"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="742" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_2022.jpg?itok=H9mkvZRH" title="Rendered image of Angelo Property Group's intended 151-159 Victoria Parade" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendered image of Angelo Property Group's intended 151-159 Victoria Parade</figcaption></figure>With a nominal value of $180 million, 151-159 Victoria Parade is expected to be retained by Angelo Property Group upon completion. 

Ground floor sees a large showroom space set aside for a prestige automotive brand, whilst the intended tower's position surrounded by various institutions will see it aimed squarely at medical, education and corporate organisations. 2019 has been nominated as the completion date for 151-159 Victoria Parade.

As mentioned, Angelo Property Group's tower is not the only commercial project in the pipeline within City of Yarra. <a href="/developments/cremorne-vic-3121">9-11 Cremorne Street</a> entered planning during March, <a href="/developments/collingwood-vic-3066">80-90 Johnston Street, Collingwood</a> during April and Grocon unveiled plans during May for <a href="/buildings/2-16-northumberland-street-collingwood">2-16 Northumberland Street, Collingwood</a>.

A ClarkeHopkinsClarke design, the Johnston Street office project is aiming to add near enough to 8,000sqm of prime office space whilst Grocon have employed John Wardle Architects for their 13 level development which absorbs part of the existing onsite Telstra exchange building.

Waiting in the wings is Malaysian developer TRC Synergy Berhad's <a href="/developments/burnley-vic-3121">East Edge Botanicca</a> office project which has been at leasing for some time. The initial 6,200sqm strata office block is set to add to the already well established Botanicca campus office precinct found in Burnley.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image27_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="110 Church Road and 13 Cremorne Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="285" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image27_3.jpg?itok=1tYAqfwI" title="110 Church Road and 13 Cremorne Street" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>110 Church Road and 13 Cremorne Street</figcaption></figure>At the smaller end of the scale, current builds adding to City of Yarra's commercial stock are found in Richmond and Cremorne. Buildcept is advancing <a href="/developments/richmond-vic-3121">110 Church Street</a> whilst 13 Cremorne Street is delivering 2,900sqm on a block of 530sqm.

A design by Architects EAT, the boutique 13 Cremorne Street also sees a penthouse event space atop the building whose design highlight involves folded metal facade elements.
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Yarra receives a commercial boost, including plans for Fitzroy's tallest office building

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Another of Melbourne's batch of sizeable apartment projects is closer to reality, with a construction tender now open for <a href="/buildings/queens-place-157-a-beckett-street-and-370-queen-street-melbourne">Queens Place</a> Tower 1. The tender process was initiated mid July with developer 3L Alliance expecting construction to begin toward the end of the year or early next year.

Queens Place is currently 81% sold. Consisting of dual residential towers spanning 246 metres in height, Queens Place is a joint design between firms Cox Architecture and Fender Katsalidis Architects, with Hecker Guthrie handling the interiors.

Fronting La Trobe Street and Queen Street, the $1 billion dollar project covers a 7,295sqm site and will include the retention of KTS House at 350 Queen Street, in addition to roughly 1,700 apartments spread over two towers.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/qppodium.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="An elevated perspective of the podium. Image: 3L Alliance"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/qppodium.jpg?itok=B0UpdEyG" title="An elevated perspective of the podium. Image: 3L Alliance" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>An elevated perspective of the podium. Image: 3L Alliance</figcaption></figure>The sheer size of both site and project has facilitated a design that includes a mass of services at ground level.

Shaping as a prime example of a vertical master-planned community, Queens Place joins the likes of West Side Place and Southbank's approved 93-119 Kavanagh Street in bringing a gamut of uses throughout its lower levels.

Queens Place will include a criss-cross network at ground level of public spaces, including a laneway running from La Trobe Street to A'Beckett Street.·A central public plaza will be surrounded by a supermarket, medical clinic, crèche, professional office space and shared facilities for a farmers market, outdoor cinema and/or art exhibitions.

Across its lower levels, Queens Place has been designed by the development team to enhance the way in which pedestrians interact with their surroundings. Currently the site is dominated by a single level car park that was built as an infill development a little over a decade ago.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/qplobby.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Queens Place's lobby. Image: 3L Alliance"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/qplobby.jpg?itok=21PI8o6C" title="Queens Place's lobby. Image: 3L Alliance" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Queens Place's lobby. Image: 3L Alliance</figcaption></figure>The twin-tower project is arguably a genuine master-planned community, albeit a vertical one.

Queens Place will sit in stark contrast to many of the contemporary apartment projects appearing through the northern reaches of Melbourne's CBD, which are located on smaller single tower sites, lacking the size capacity to incorporate extensive public features. City of Melbourne's Munro site shapes as the next project that will have a highly interactive and permeable public podium interface, with a 200 plus metre residential tower tipped to sit above.

On a wider note, Queens Place's construction start will likely coincide with those of <a href="/new-apartments/union-tower-296-300-little-lonsdale-street-melbourne">Union Tower</a>, <a href="/buildings/399-little-lonsdale-street-melbourne">399 Little Lonsdale Street</a> and Iglu's student accommodation project at <a href="/new-apartments/iglu-229-franklin-street-melbourne">229 Franklin Street</a>, providing the northern CBD with its next wave of construction activity.
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Construction beckons for Queens Place

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It's intriguing to take note of how differing interests play out in the Australian property development industry.

In stark contrast to Sydney's regimented planning controls which have long been in place and Melbourne's recently overhauled inner-city planning controls which are now in play, Urban Taskforce Australia (UTA) last Friday called for a greater number of taller towers across Australia's major cities. The call was made via UTA's <a href="http://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/urbanideas/july2016/?page=1">Urban Ideas</a> magazine and places the peak body at odds with current policy.

Representing Australia's most prominent property developers, UTA acts with a heavily slanted view toward the New South Wales property industry, so it comes as no surprise that they have shown concern over Sydney's inability to maintain pace with the rest of the nation (essentially Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast) in the race to create taller skyscrapers.

Whether this is materially relevant to Sydney's growth and prosperity is of course debatable, but UTA argues that increased tower height has a direct relationship to accommodating increased population growth.

The latest Urban Ideas issue shows that Sydney and Parramatta combined will sport only three of Australia's future top 20 tallest towers. Seen below is the up-to-date Urban Ideas table highlighting Australia's current and future tallest buildings.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image15_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Urban Taskforce Australia's cyrrent and proposed tall towers list. Source: CTBUH via UTA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="426" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image15_4.jpg?itok=PESCyiM1" title="Urban Taskforce Australia's cyrrent and proposed tall towers list. Source: CTBUH via UTA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Urban Taskforce Australia's current and proposed tall towers list. Source: CTBUH via UTA</figcaption></figure><h2>Australian cities will need to grow up rather than out</h2>

<blockquote>
Australian cities have grown over the last 200 years on the suburban, garden city model. As these cities grew to 2 or 3 million the low rise model could still work but with Sydney now at 5 million, travel to work has led to massive congestion.

Further horizontal spread will be limited so an increase in densities and heights will be essential to accommodate the growth predicted. 
<cite>UTA Chief Executive Officer: Chris Johnson</cite>
</blockquote>

Melbourne has been doing some growing of its own over recent years, with a well publicised squad of 200 metre plus towers ranging from planning through to construction.

It has been a little over a year since discretionary plot ratios, mandatory podium height, mandatory setback requirements and mandatory height controls were introduced, intending to provide better amenity outcomes for new inner city developments. Has this policy change adversely affected Melbourne's development industry in any tangible way?

There has been a noticeable slow down in large scale applications handled by the State, but is that the work of policy or organic market forces?

Developers are a shrewd lot and it could be argued that they have merely followed prevailing trends. The buyers current appetite now lies with larger dwellings within smaller projects, with the middle and outer suburbs now doing the heavy lifting of absorbing buyer demand whilst the CBD in particular absorbs higher levels of supply.

Merely asking for taller developments for the sake of continuing growth is an interesting stance as taken by the UTA. Does it really matter that Sydney has a disproportionately small representation of the nation's tallest buildings?

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_6952.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne's move upwards is in full swing"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6952.jpg?itok=KyNzPsUO" title="Melbourne's move upwards is in full swing" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne's move upwards is in full swing</figcaption></figure><h2>Melbourne standing tall</h2>

Policy aside the roll-out of new Melbourne skyscrapers continues at pace.

With Brady Group's Vision Apartments approaching practical completion, six additional projects over 200 metres are at construction. Such is the lag between entering planning and reaching construction, the policy changes implemented by the current State Government last year will have almost an immaterial effect upon the roll-out of projects such is their lengthy delivery timeline.

Massive projects yet to appear on the skyline include <a href="/new-apartments/150-queen-street-melbourne">Tower Melbourne</a>, <a href="/buildings/queens-place-157-a-beckett-street-and-370-queen-street-melbourne">Queens Place</a>, <a href="/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">West Side Place Towers 1 and 2</a>, <a href="/buildings/melbourne-square-93-119-kavanagh-street-southbank">96 Kavanagh Street</a> and <a href="/new-apartments/38-freshwater-place-southbank">38 Freshwater Place</a>. 

Even with rejigged planning laws there still remains scope for exceedingly high towers to take their place in Melbourne's skyline. Crown's hulking <a href="/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank">Southbank mixed-use project</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/51-65-clarke-street-southbank">51-65 Clarke Street</a> and Sterling Global's Jean Nouvel-designed <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">383 La Trobe Street</a> are examples of skyscrapers that have been submitted post the new planning regime, with the shortest of the trio at 239 metres.
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Tall tales and Sydney's slump in the skyscraper stakes

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Cremorne-based Spacious Property Group have teamed with Hayball to create the developer's next two apartment projects.

Pending approval, St Kilda and West Melbourne will house the respective mid-rise projects, adding to Spacious Property Group's sole current Melbourne project located opposite Blackburn Station.

The St Kilda project involves a 2,110sqm site at 54-60 St Kilda Road which the developer secured at the turn of the year for a reported $13.7 million. The current low-rise commercial complex will make way for a 10 storey residential building holding 103 dwellings, including apartments, townhouses and three bedroom penthouses.

 504sqm of retail space is spread across the design's St Kilda Road frontage, whilst the facade features an urban lighting installation involving colour-programmed LED luminaires set behind perforated vertical metal screens.

 54-60 St Kilda Road adds to the recent upswing of apartment projects at St Kilda Junction; the largest of which is a 28 level tower slated for <a href="/new-apartments/8-12-punt-road-st-kilda">8-12 Punt Road.</a>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image13_8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="54-60 St Kilda Road. Planning image: Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="356" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image13_8.jpg?itok=TrhvmW1P" title="54-60 St Kilda Road. Planning image: Hayball" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>54-60 St Kilda Road. Planning image: Hayball</figcaption></figure>In West Melbourne, Spacious Property Group is attempting to pass its site through planning once more, post the rejection of an initial attempt for a <a href="/news/planning-application-488-494-la-trobe-street-west-melbourne">32 level residential tower</a>. The site at 488-494 La Trobe Street is back at planning with Hayball undertaking the revised design process that has now asked for a more modest 19 levels.

Within the tower 118 apartments are sought with one, two and two plus study options included. Two retail tenancies are at ground level, whilst 95 bicycle and 28 car parking spaces are located within a solitary basement level.

On its initial planning pass, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2015/1895">VCAT provided</a> the following assessment on the initial 32 level version:

<blockquote>
We conclude that the proposed building is not an acceptable design response to it physical and policy setting due to its overall height, massing and lack of side or rear setbacks. We consider these are inconsistent with its existing and preferred character setting.

We do not seek to determine what an appropriate response is for this site as this is not our role. However, based on our concerns about visual bulk and direct amenity impacts we note that even if the height of the building was significantly reduced (even below 40 metres) it would not resolve our concerns about the direct building interface on boundary to the north and east or concerns with internal amenity.
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image10_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The revised 488-494 La Trobe Street. Planning image: Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="412" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image10_7.jpg?itok=dXE3QQGw" title="The revised 488-494 La Trobe Street. Planning image: Hayball" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The revised 488-494 La Trobe Street. Planning image: Hayball</figcaption></figure>Spacious Property Group's Melbourne development pipeline is rounded out with 55-65 Railway Road, Blackburn. Purchased by the developer with a planning permit in place, the project was quickly taken to market under the moniker of <a href="/buildings/boardwalk-55-railway-road-blackburn">Boardwalk Blackburn</a>.

The CHT Architects-designed development sees 33 apartments set above 7 retail tenancies over a 1,475sqm triple fronted site. Orange Building Solutions currently have the project above ground with construction with a likely finish date approaching the new year.
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Spacious and Hayball team up to create two new residential projects

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After more than a decade of development activity within the Victoria Gardens precinct, Salta Properties is poised to launch their latest residential project within the precinct that will account for the bulk of the former MFB training college site.

Park House will add a further 539 apartments into the priority development zone which Salta has all but made its own. Fronting Victoria Street, Walmer Street and the Yarra River, Park House is also one of the final development sites in play along the Yarra River in the precinct.

The Victorian Government is in the process of introducing tighter planning controls for the Yarra River, with the aim of better managing development along its banks.

Completed during 2003, Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre has acted as a catalyst for the precinct, with Salta Properties subsequent development activity focused on mid-rise residential and commercial projects. Situated on a portion of the former MFB training college site which spans 17,000sqm, Park House also continues the long-standing association between developer and design practice SJB Architects in the area. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image5ph.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victoria Street perspective of the new development. "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="431" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image5ph.jpg?itok=i-93FEtm" title="Victoria Street perspective of the new development. " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victoria Street perspective of the new development.</figcaption></figure>Similar to the adjoining Green Square development, Park House's footprint has been arranged around a large internal garden with adjoining communal facilities in tow.

Park House will see a mass of amenities folded into the project, including a home theatre, golf simulator, bike workshop, children's playroom and library. These are in addition to traditional features such as a gym, pool and lounge.

Likely owing to its proximity to the Yarra, Park House also sees a higher degree of landscaping and active frontages than adjacent projects. Walmer Street will be remodelled into a piazza of sorts while Park House's frontage to the Yarra River will be broken by terraced greenery.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image7ph.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Amenities on show within Park House"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="555" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image7ph.jpg?itok=3mwuPsoT" title="Amenities on show within Park House" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Amenities on show within Park House</figcaption></figure>The arrival of Park House follows on from the recent completion of Salta's A Place To Live with 61 apartments included. The developer's previous projects within the precinct include 400 apartments and 96 serviced apartments within Green Square and a further 355 apartments within RAPTL.

Salta has also built 35,000 square metres of commercial space at Victoria Gardens.

The recent VCAT approval of 649 Victoria Street adds to Salta's forthcoming projects within the precinct, as do a number of development sites east of Victoria Garden

Salta Is also placed to further deliver additional higher density living to a site south of Victoria Gardens. Dubbed Burnley Terrace, concept designs show an outcome as high as 20 levels for the site. Eventually Salta can expect to develop in excess of 2,000 apartments in the precinct.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/untitled-3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Previous Salta projects along Burnley street. Image: Salta Properties"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="306" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/untitled-3.jpg?itok=hRhIq3Bd" title="Previous Salta projects along Burnley street. Image: Salta Properties" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Previous Salta projects along Burnley street. Image: Salta Properties</figcaption></figure>
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Park House adds to the Victoria Gardens precinct

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The latest prospective Fishermans Bend entrant to be unveiled comes in the form of a peckvonhartel-designed 41 storey apartment tower, with a unique corten steel sculpture worked into the design.

Successfully delivering projects for over 35 years, peckvonhartel are an established Melbourne presence although their forays into high-rise design are few and far between. Subject to their design is the former Laycock Son and Co. woollen mills, otherwise known as Laconia Woollen Mills at 179-185 Normanby Road.

Located within Montague Precinct, the 3,439sqm Laconia Woollen Mills buildings is under the control of Normanby Group Holdings Pty Ltd, who are seeking a tower positioned to the rear of the large site.

<h2>179-185 Normanby Road, Southbank application summary</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image19_9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Street level perspective of the intended tower.Planning image: peckvonhartel"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="848" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image19_9.jpg?itok=uw8UudK1" title="Street level perspective of the intended tower.Planning image: peckvonhartel" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Street level perspective of the intended tower. Planning image: peckvonhartel</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Application submitted: 27/05/2016</li>
	<li>Laconia Woollen Mills site area: 2,008sqm</li>
	<li>Proposed 41 storey tower at 149.8 metres</li>
	<li>291 apartments: 56 x 1BR, 176 x 2BR, 59 x 3BR</li>
	<li>4003.75sqm of commercial office space &amp; one retail space at 404.12sqm</li>
	<li>191 car parking spaces including 45 commercial spaces (existing)</li>
	<li>191 bicycle parking spaces including 32 commercial spaces and 11 commercial visitor spaces</li>
	<li>842.43sqm of communal space</li>
</ul>
<h2>Internal inclinations</h2>

Internal areas for the project see the following: one-bedroom apartments range between 50sqm-52sqm, two-bedroom apartments range between 70sqm-94sqm and three-bedroom apartments weigh in at between 84sqm-128sqm.

City of Port Phillip have noted in their preliminary report on the application that the 20% of dwellings are dedicated toward three-bedroom dwellings, which far exceeds Council's preference of at least 10% of apartments contain three bedrooms.

Conversely Council also note that no affordable or social housing is proposed as part of the application. The Fishermans Bend Strategic Framework Plan states that for developments containing 200 or more dwellings, an affordable housing component should be considered.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image20_5.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Landscaped external terrace atop the Laconia building. Planning image: peckvonhartel"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="230" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image20_5.jpg?itok=oiSktnX8" title="Landscaped external terrace atop the Laconia building. Planning image: peckvonhartel" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Landscaped external terrace atop the Laconia building. Planning image: peckvonhartel</figcaption></figure>Internally, peckvonhartel's design features multiple communal facilities which include lounge rooms over level 11, a cinema room, gym, children's playroom and an expansive rooftop area above the Laconia Woollen Mills building.

<h2>Corten of contention</h2>

Externally 179-185 Normanby Road would also see works to the public realm on Doran Street, with road narrowing and the delivery of planters, timber decking areas and timber pergolas.

Most notable is the corten steel sculpture that sits between the existing and proposed buildings, and shapes as a relief from typical Fishermans Bend proposals which see scant few sculptural features design into prospective buildings.

City of Port Phillip have raised concerns that both the sculpture and tower would overwhelm the existing Laconia Woollen Mills building which is subject to a heritage overlay. Also falling foul of City of Port Phillip officers is the proposal's lack of connection between Woodgate Street and Doran Street, inactive podium facing Doran Street and the impractical nature of the public works proposed.

In 179-185 Normanby Road's current form Council officers have recommended that Council advise the Minister that it does not support the application as proposed.
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Corten of contention: peckvonhartel's new Fishermans Bend tower in focus

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

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The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

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Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

Mark Baljak

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