Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

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The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Apartments

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The notion of Melbourne becoming a 20-minute City has been explored heavily in recent times.

Seeking to provide Melburnians with the ability to 'live locally', the 20-minute City, in essence, strives to provide people with the ability to meet most of their everyday needs within a 20-minute walk, cycle or local public transport trip of their home.

Plan Melbourne's <a href="http://www.planmelbourne.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/377117/Plan_Melbourne_2017_Outcome_5_PDF.pdf">push toward the 20-minute City</a> would also have immense repercussions for the environment, potentially reducing travel by nine million passenger kilometres and cutting Melbourne’s daily greenhouse gas emissions by more than 370,000 tonnes.

The Heart Foundation and the Victorian Government's <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/news/designing-an-active-healthier-victoria">Healthy and Active by Design Victoria</a> has the 20-minute City at its core. The push to heighten awareness around the issue of connecting people efficiently with daily necessities has not gone unlost on certain developers.

As awareness of the health issues increases, enterprising developers are beginning to talk up the health benefits of living close to places of employment; this is particularly pertinent in Melbourne's middle suburban apartment market as it begins to mature.

Developer Cedar Woods has of late been talking up the health and wellbeing benefits of living in close proximity to places of employment. Given their Jackson Green development is in close proximity to the Monash Employment Cluster, they are well placed to do so.

According to the <a href="https://www.medibank.com.au/livebetter/tag/better-health-index/">Medibank Better Health Index</a>, there are significant health benefits in living closer to places of work, thus reducing time spent commuting during the week. According to the Index, "those travelling one to five kilometres to work having a better overall health score versus those commuting more than 50 kilometres."

Furthermore, "Those with a journey of 30 kilometres or more suffered from various negative health outcomes such as increased stress and weight gain. By living close to work, time usually spent commuting can be put into other important lifestyle activities such as health and exercise, quality family time and personal relaxation."

Cedar Woods have been quick to point this out, using Jackson Green's latest release, Gardenia, as an example of buyers choosing to purchase based on proximity to their workplace.

In a recent media release, Cedar Woods state manager Patrick Archer extolled the virtues of living close to one's place of employment:

<blockquote>
People are aware of the negative effects long commute times add to their health and wellbeing, as well as the time they lose each day spent in the car or on public transport getting to work. To help combat this they are placing greater importance on where they live and ensuring it is close to their workplace. 

We have noticed a number of buyers at Jackson Green moving to the area because they want to be closer to work. They are being more strategic with their time to create more opportunities to relax, re-energise and reduce the amount of time spent commuting.
<cite>Patrick Archer, State Manager, Cedar Woods</cite>
</blockquote>

The Monash Employment Cluster is the prime example in that it maintains Melbourne’s largest concentration of jobs outside the CBD and includes employment hubs such as the Monash Medical Centre and Monash University.

The advent of further <a href="https://vpa.vic.gov.au/urban-renewal/national-employment-clusters/">National Employment and Innovation Cluster</a>s such as Dandenong, La Trobe, Sunshine and the massive Werribee East project will also serve to draw in greater populations seeking to reside closer to major employment hubs. As Melbourne's population continues to balloon, it seems that so to will congestion across all modes of transport.

People will invariably be drawn to living closer to their places of employment; perhaps now developers spruiking their respective apartment projects in Melbourne's middle suburbs will include another inducement in their marketing campaigns - that of health and wellbeing, and proximity to all that matters.
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silvermb

The 20-minute city, associated health benefits and expanding middle Melbourne

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Considering the sheer volume of apartment projects Melbourne has absorbed over recent years, the rate of stalled projects is comparatively minuscule.

Very few apartment projects that launched their respective sales campaigns over the last five years failed to progress to construction. One of the more notable projects though was 100 Park Street; the South Melbourne project straddling the busy Kings Way and Park Street intersection had over recent years been expected to be home to an 11 level mixed-use building.

The failure of the project to progress through its then sales campaign has presented an opportunity for current developer RESCOM, which also happens to be headquartered onsite.

<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/100park-2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="100 Park Street as was initially intended. Image: Rescom"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/100park-2.jpg?itok=BrxWxxFd" title="100 Park Street as was initially intended. Image: Rescom" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>100 Park Street as was initially intended. Image: Rescom</figcaption></figure>With the 2012 VCAT-approved scheme now consigned to history, RESCOM has utilised prolific residential apartment design practice CHT Architects to rework the scheme for the dual fronted 593sqm site which fronts a combined twelve lanes of traffic.

Lodged with City of Port Phillip earlier in the year, the new CHT Architects design seeks approval for a taller 19-storey building which includes offices and 67 apartments. Split between 10 single bedroom dwellings, 40 two bedroom dwellings and 17 three bedroom dwellings, the newly formatted tower provides a greater yield relative to the original design.

483.5 square metres of office space is present over the ground floor, first floor and second floor. 44 car parking spaces and 51 bicycle bays are housed across two basement levels and a portion of the ground floor.

Reaching 60 metres in height, the new 100 Park Street represents RESCOM's biggest apartment project to date, following on from their Fernhill Sandringham project and the at construction Herbert King on Richmond's Lennox Street which includes 40 dwellings.

100 Park Street's initial sales campaign was forsaken, with the site eventually <a href="https://www.cbremelbourne.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Park_St_100_4PP_v14.pdf">handed over to CBRE City Sales</a> during mid 2015 with all presales attached, but not acted upon.

<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/image32_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A Kings Way perspective of 100 Park Street. Planning image: CHT Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="456" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image32_7.jpg?itok=Ph4RogDp" title="A Kings Way perspective of 100 Park Street. Planning image: CHT Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A Kings Way perspective of 100 Park Street. Planning image: CHT Architects</figcaption></figure>The current 100 Park Street proposal versus the initial 2012 scheme is chalk and cheese when placed into their respective built form.

Park Street and the immediate surrounds have become one of the more stable apartment development precincts across inner Melbourne. The majority of proposals have pushed through City of Port Phillip's planning channel in the last two years, effectively earmarking this area as a hotbed of apartment activity in years to come.

Including the reworked 100 Park Street, there are currently nine apartment projects either on Park Street or within a 300m radius that have yet to reach fruition. These projects amount to a further 911 apartments in the South Melbourne pipeline.

<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/image34_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fellow proposals at 33 Park Street, 5-7 Park Street and 9-13 Park Street."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="339" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image34_10.jpg?itok=QX0x2y09" title="Fellow proposals at 33 Park Street, 5-7 Park Street and 9-13 Park Street." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fellow proposals at 33 Park Street, 5-7 Park Street and 9-13 Park Street.</figcaption></figure>
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A problem South Melbourne site looks for new life

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A handful of major construction projects are moving closer to reality, as evidenced by current construction tenders open for each of the respective projects.

With a minimum construction value of $50 million, the five projects across metropolitan Melbourne represent the largest projects currently at tender. Below is a brief overview of each of the five projects that will make their place in due course.

<h2>Flinders Gate</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/image20_9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The view from Federation Square may include Flinders Gate shortly. Image: Dexus"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image20_9.jpg?itok=EzhuZOzi" title="The view from Federation Square may include Flinders Gate shortly. Image: Dexus" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The view from Federation Square may include Flinders Gate shortly. Image: Dexus</figcaption></figure>After being touted as a major commercial development for the best part of five years, Dexus have finally moved Flinders Gate to construction tender.

The adaptive reuse encompasses a 1,071 car park set behind two existing buildings. 20,000sqm of commercial floor space is approved within a mid-rise building that would appear above fully restored heritage facades. According to project architect SJB, "500 car spaces will be removed as part of this redevelopment and will see the addition of 150 bicycle spaces, as part of an ESD initiative to achieve a 5 star NABERS rating."

During 2016 it had been reported that Seek were likely to sign on for space within Flinders Gate, although no official announcement on a tenant for the project has been made to date.

<h2>East Brunswick Village - Stage 1</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/image22_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="East Brunswick Village is nearing reality. Image: Merbo"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="349" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image22_7.jpg?itok=YDIA30an" title="East Brunswick Village is nearing reality. Image: Merbo" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>East Brunswick Village is nearing reality. Image: Merbo</figcaption></figure>Another project with a long gestation period is East Brunswick Village at 129–149 Nicholson Street. Brunswick East.

Without a sales campaign in sight, developer Banco Group has pushed ahead with site works, facilitating early works across the massive 21,300sqm site. A construction is imminent with the tender for Stage 1 of the project now current.

Although eventually home to approximately 600 apartments, Merbo Project Management have Stage 1 consisting of 227 apartments over 2 basement levels, 2 buildings of 5 and 6 levels, a Coles supermarket, Liquorland and a host of specialty retailers.

<h2>M-City </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/image24_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="M-City will redefine its immediate surrounds in Clayton. Image: Schiavello"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="391" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image24_3.jpg?itok=8amvD7JP" title="M-City will redefine its immediate surrounds in Clayton. Image: Schiavello" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>M-City will redefine its immediate surrounds in Clayton. Image: Schiavello</figcaption></figure>With a construction value in excess of $200 million, Clayton's M-City development is the biggest of all projects currently at tender. To be developed jointly by The Saraceno Group and Schiavello, the 3.52ha site will eventually become a unique multi-use precinct located in the Monash Employment Cluster.

Billed as the largest mixed-use project within Melbourne's metropolitan area, the sheer size of M-City's construction value points toward multiple stages of the project being constructed simultaneously. Multiple residential buildings are joined by commercial and hotel components, plus a mass of retail and entertainment options that will make M-City a destination in itself.

M-City's move to construction signifies the end of a very long effort by The Saraceno Group to develop the site, having tried and failed to facilitate development onsite prior to the tie-up with Schiavello.

<h2>Seasons Doncaster East</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/150708-reynolds-road-view-03-initial-draft.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Pushing the apartment cause in Doncaster East. Image: JD Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="295" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/150708-reynolds-road-view-03-initial-draft.jpg?itok=1zZo-e0l" title="Pushing the apartment cause in Doncaster East. Image: JD Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Pushing the apartment cause in Doncaster East. Image: JD Group</figcaption></figure>Already sporting a number of tower cranes, Doncaster East will receive a handful move as Seasons Donacster East moves through the construction tender process.

The suburb's largest apartment project, Seasons is the effort of developer JD Group. Approximately 300 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments are earmarked across the 13,340sqm site located at 180-200 Reynolds Road.

Seasons is the largest development within The Pines Activity Centre which is on the Blackburn, Reynolds and Andersons Creek Road axis and spans an area of approximately 37.5 hectares. JD Group have previously been active in the area, developing the Reynolds Gardens apartment project diagonally opposite Seasons.

<h2>252 Collins Street - The Hour Glass Refurbishment</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/image26_8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="252 Collins Street is headed toward change. Image: Kodak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="494" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image26_8.jpg?itok=rAA0fevL" title="252 Collins Street is headed toward change. Image: Kodak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>252 Collins Street is headed toward change. Image: Kodak</figcaption></figure>Although quite different to the above new builds, 252 Collins Street's pending overhaul still stacks up in terms of construction value.

Home to The Hour Glass which is one of Australasia's premier luxury watch retail groups, 252 Collins Street's pending works are in excess of $50 million in value. Collins Street continues to see the refurbishment of existing buildings such as the T&amp;G Building, Australia on Collins, Rialto, 360 Collins and 367 Collins.

Although varying in their scope and size, these refurbishments whilst solitary in their nature have had the cumulative effect of ensuring Collins Street remains Melbourne's premier retail thoroughfare.
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The next wave of major builds line up

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One of Melbourne's diminishing number of larger-scale planning applications has broken cover.

Local developer Perri Projects is seeking to push through a substantial apartment tower on a prominent site at the northern tip of the CBD. 23-29 Victoria Street is currently a service station, but under plans conceived by Woods Bagot a 25 storey predominantly residential would take its place.

The site finds itself in a mixed-use zone with a wide discrepancy of heights on show. Over recent years a high degree of development has taken place immediately south of 23-29 Victoria Street, with dual 38 storey buildings currently at construction.

North-facing apartments within the prospective tower would command imposing views down the Drummond Street axis, with little prospect of being built out. Perhaps this potential selling point along with current market trends has seen the majority of apartments within the proposal holding three bedrooms.

<h2>23-29 Victoria Street 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/image10_14.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="23-29 Victoria Street as rendered from Drummond Street. Planning image: Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image10_14.jpg?itok=r0eSKnwE" title="23-29 Victoria Street as rendered from Drummond Street. Planning image: Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>23-29 Victoria Street as rendered from Drummond Street. Planning image: Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Application lodged June 2017</li>
	<li>Site area: 894sqm with two street frontages</li>
	<li>Proposed: 25 storey tower at 86.2m to roof line</li>
	<li>Apartment mix: 27 x 1BR, 26 x 2BR, 37 x 3BR</li>
	<li>2 retail tenancies of 117sqm and 86sqm</li>
	<li>539sqm of office accommodation within the podium</li>
	<li>79 vehicles and 88 bicycles within 4 basement levels</li>
	<li>2 amenities levels: pool, gym, lounge, dining area</li>
	<li>Estimated development cost: $50 million</li>
	<li>NSA: 10,400sqm</li>
</ul>
<h2>Speaking the Carlton language</h2>

<blockquote>
The building speaks two languages, one to its cultural heritage neighbours (both the building and Carlton’s Victorian terrace housing) and another, towards its younger and taller companions for centralised, city living. The geometric facade is conceived as an analogy of Carlton’s architectural typology.

A cascading diagonal motif set at the scale of an apartment integrates the balcony condition into the envelope. A brick podium provides an anchor point whilst subtly referencing its context.

<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/image18_18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Seeking a new CBD-Carlton nexus. Planning image: Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="416" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_18.jpg?itok=1s3SDScL" title="Seeking a new CBD-Carlton nexus. Planning image: Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Seeking a new CBD-Carlton nexus. Planning image: Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure>The tower form along the northern elevation is highly agitated, synonymous with the Carlton verandah depth, however, the south facade is flattened reflecting the city’s restrained geometric qualities.
<cite>Urban context Report</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Ground plane activation</h2>

The application seeks to do its part in overhauling the currently poor street level experience along McKenzie Street.

23-29 Victoria Street's podium toward the west utilises white flemishbond brick, referencing the adjoining Horticultural Hall’s red-brick facades. The balance of the design's ground floor is clear glazed and expressive toward the streetscape, whilst mature trees will sit atop the terraced western podium.

Landscaping plays a key part across the tower's lower levels, with four separate design aspects proposed to enhance the pedestrian network. MacKenzie Street's pavement would be widened in order to introduce planterboxes whilst the MacKenzie and Victoria Street intersection is earmarked for overhaul by way of a pocket urban forest.

A new string of trees to Victoria Street and an upgrade to Bell Place's connectivity are also on the cards as part of the development team's bid to gain approval.

<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/image14_12.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="McKenzie Street perspective. Planning image: Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="428" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image14_12.jpg?itok=zynOYeZk" title="McKenzie Street perspective. Planning image: Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>McKenzie Street perspective. Planning image: Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure><h2>23-29 Victoria Street development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Perri Projects</li>
	<li>Architect: Woods Bagot</li>
	<li>Town Planning: Contour Consultants</li>
	<li>Landscape Architects: Oculus</li>
	<li>Heritage Consultant: GJM Heritage</li>
	<li>Traffic Engineer: GTA</li>
	<li>Waste Consultant: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>ESD: Sustainable Development Consultants</li>
	<li>Acoustic: Acoustic Logic</li>
	<li>Wind Engineers: MEL Consulting</li>
	<li>Structural Consultant: Webber</li>
	<li>Services Consultant: O'Neill Group</li>
	<li>Building Surveyor: PLP</li>
	<li>Land Surveyor: Taylors</li>
</ul>
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Perri Projects and Woods Bagot seek a new northern CBD focal point

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The long-running bid to redevelop Abbotsford's historic St Crispin House has found a resolution, with Pace Development Group granted the right to deliver 133 apartments over 12 levels.

In conjunction with SJB Architects, Pace Development Group have refined the design for the development to a point where it was considered an acceptable outcome. Well before Pace assumed control of the site during 2015, St Crispin House was subject to development overtones, with an earlier application seeking a 17 storey high-rise outcome.

The newly approved envelope will see a mid-rise apartment building rising from behind the Art Deco-styled facade which will be restored. The site's history dates back to the early 1920's when it was utilised as a boot making factory.

<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/image45_6.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Pace of Abbotsford. Image: PACE Development Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="673" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image45_6.jpg?itok=dWf-cdSp" title="Pace of Abbotsford. Image: PACE Development Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Pace of Abbotsford. Image: Pace Development Group</figcaption></figure>Pace of Abbotsford, as it will be known, is expected to begin construction later this year; sales of the one, two and three bedroom apartments are expected to begin during October, with construction earmarked for November. Completion is expected during mid-2019.

Within the associated media release, Pace's Planning and Design Manager Michael Holah made note of Johnston's Street gradual transformation, as an increased number of higher density projects take their place within Abbotsford.

Apartments.com.au's Project Database shows Pace of Abbotsford is joined by five additional projects along the Abbotsford stretch of Johnston Street which have yet to become reality. Combined there is scope to add approximately 250 apartments and 40 serviced apartments to the area which has traditionally been low-rise.

<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_6973.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Pace of Collingwood under construction"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="414" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6973.jpg?itok=8Gr5rcGk" title="Pace of Collingwood under construction" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Pace of Collingwood under construction</figcaption></figure>Pace of Abbotsford is also another notch in the developer's push into City of Yarra; three of Pace's seven current projects within the municipality.

Nearly, Pace of Collingwood has commenced construction proper, with Pace's in-house construction team set to oversee proceedings. 79 apartments are to be delivered within the predominantly brick snap finished building, which accounts for a 1139sqm corner site on Welington Street and Langridge Street.

Diagonally opposite, Pace is also pursuing a development albeit with a commercial outcome. Last week Apartments.com.au highlighted the <a href="/news/spowers-adds-to-the-collingwood-development-blitz">slim-form, Spowers-designed commercial building</a> which if approved will mark Pace Development Group's first foray into purely commercial development.
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Pace of Abbotsford gains approval and eyes a 2017 construction start

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80895/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
It’s time to debunk the myth of zero housing costs in retirement if we want to understand why retirees resist downsizing. Retirees have at least five reasons to be wary of the costs of downsizing.
Retirees living in middle-ring suburbs face frequent calls to downsize into apartments to free up larger allotments in these suburbs for redevelopment. Retirees who fail to downsize into smaller units and apartments are viewed as being a greedy, baby-boomer elite, stealing financial security from younger generations. 
It also makes sense to policymakers for retirees to move into less spacious accommodation and make way for high-density housing. Housing think-tank AHURI fosters this view. Yet seniors remain resistant to moving, in part because of the ongoing costs they would face.
The concept of zero housing costs in retirement is based on a 1940s view of a well-maintained, single dwelling on a single allotment of land where the mortgage has been paid off. This concept is incompatible with medium- and high-density housing and refusing to acknowledge ongoing housing costs may cause significant poverty for retirees. 
<h2>Reason 1 – upfront moving costs are high</h2>
When a house is sold the owner receives the sale funds minus the real estate and legal fees. When the same person then buys a different property to live in, they pay legal fees plus stamp duty. 
For cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, these costs are likely to exceed A$70,000. 
These high transfer costs may mean it is not cost-effective for the person to move. 
<h2>Reason 2 – levies are high</h2>
Because apartment owners pay body corporate levies, people often assume this is just the same as periodic payment of rates, water, insurance and other costs. It is not. 
Fees remissions for low-income retirees for rates, power, insurance and water are difficult to apply within a body corporate environment. As a consequence, these are usually not applied to owners of apartments.
The costs of maintaining essential services, such as mandatory fire-alarm testing, yearly engineering certification, lift and air-conditioning inspections, significantly increase ownership costs. 
When additional services are supplied, such as swimming pools, gyms and rooftop gardens, these also require periodic inspections. Garbage collection, cleaning, gardening, concierge and strata management services also must be paid. 
Owners of standard suburban homes choose whether they want these services, with those on fixed incomes going without them. 
Annual levies for apartment buildings vary, but expect to pay between $10,000 and $15,000. They may be more than this.
<h2>Reason 3 – costs of maintenance</h2>
Lift maintenance is one of many costs that suburban home owners needn’t worry about. 
Apartments are often sold as a maintenance-free solution for older people. The maintenance is not free. It needs to be paid for. 
Maintenance costs are higher in an apartment than a standard suburban home because there are more items and services to be maintained and fixed. Lifts and air conditioning need periodic servicing and fixing. This is in addition to the mandatory inspections listed above.
<h2>Reason 4 – loss of financial security</h2>
It is a mistaken belief that the maintenance costs that form part of the body corporate fee include periodic property upgrades. This relates to items that are owned collectively with other apartment owners. 
Major servicing at the ten-year mark and usually each five-to-seven years after that include painting, floor-covering replacement, and lift and air-conditioning repair or replacement. 
Major upgrades may also include garden redesign or other external building enhancement including environmental upgrades. All owners share these upgrade costs. 
Costs of upgrading the inside of an apartment (a bathroom disability upgrade, for example) are additional again. 
Once the body corporate committee members pledge funds towards an upgrade, all owners are required to raise their share of the funds, whether they can afford it or not. Communal choice outweighs an individual owner’s need to delay upgrade costs. 
Owners who buy apartments that are part of a body corporate effectively lose control of their future financial decisions.
<h2>Reason 5 – loss of security of tenure</h2>
Loss of security of tenure is usually associated with renters. However, the recent introduction of termination legislation in New South Wales gives other owners the right to vote to terminate a strata title scheme. When this occurs, all owners, including reluctant owners of apartments within that scheme, are compelled to sell.
There are valid reasons why termination legislation is desirable, as many older apartment complexes are reaching the end of their useful life. 
Even so, as termination legislation is rolled out across the states, owner- occupiers effectively lose control of how long they will own a property for. They no longer have security of tenure, which means retirees may face an uncertain housing future in their old age.
Because current data sets do not adequately take account of ongoing costs associated with apartment living, the effect of downsizing on individual households is masked. 
Downsizing retirees into the apartment sector creates ongoing financial stress for older people. Creating tax incentives to move does not tackle these ongoing costs.
Centrelink payments for of $404 per week are well below the poverty line. Yet we expect retirees to willingly downsize and to be able to cede most of their Centrelink payments to cover high body corporate costs. 
Requiring retirees to downsize for the greater urban good will shift poverty onto retirees who could barely manage in their previously owned standard suburban home. 
Failing to understand the effect of high ongoing costs associated with apartment living and reinforcing the myth of zero housing costs in retirement will continue to lead to poor policy outcomes.
Erika Altmann is Property and Housing Management Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888" target="_blank">University of Tasmania</a> and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Downsizing cost trap awaits retirees – five reasons to be wary

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A developer new to the Apartments.com.au <a href="/developments">Project Database</a> is seeking a berth within the bustling West Melbourne apartment scene.

137-157 Adderley Street as a tri-fronted 1,606sqm site headed to planning during May on behalf of Auburn Land Group. Surrounded by a variety of other current apartment developments, the Adderley Street land holding sits between North Melbourne railway station and the area's most high profile mixed-use development, West End.

The immediate area surrounding 137-157 Adderley Street is a mixture of "terrace houses, commercial offices, workshops and showrooms; buildings of various periods and architectural styles." Auburn Land Group is looking to push the suburb further down the path of higher density residential, by seeking the right to deliver 112 apartments within a 10 level building.

Buchan Group has designed the possible the new addition in line with the objectives of the Better Apartments Design Standards.

The new application follows on from a previous design at planning which was scuppered when the site in question was sold by CBRE City Sales during 2016.

<h2>137-157 Adderley Street 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/image23_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Street level perspective of the new development. Planning image: Buchan Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="241" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image23_7.jpg?itok=QFkP1-2t" title="Street level perspective of the new development. Planning image: Buchan Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Street level perspective of the new development. Planning image: Buchan Group</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Application submitted May 2017</li>
	<li>Site area: 1,606sqm with 3 street frontages</li>
	<li>Proposed: 10 level building at 32.8m</li>
	<li>112 apartments: 29 x 1BR, 26 x 1BR + S, 57 x 2BR</li>
	<li>Apartment size range: 47sqm - 84sqm</li>
	<li>102 car parking spaces &amp; 40 bicycle bays</li>
	<li>GFA: 15,300.9sqm</li>
	<li>Development cost: $25 million</li>
</ul>
<h2>The site in context</h2>

<blockquote>
A significant objective of this design response is to provide a considered building form; of scale and articulation that is appropriate to the location context and contributes a well-mannered and positive presence to the West Melbourne streetscape.

One of the most captivating aspects of this site and indeed, a primary characteristic of the West Melbourne context, is the tree line'boulevard'streets, featuring, particularly in the north-south streets, mature deciduous plane trees.

The building design seeks to celebrate this aspect of the context by incorporating into the design highly reflective glass in the street fronting facades to literally reflect the tree foliage and by adopting the seasonal colours of the trees in the vertical shade blades that are affixed to the face of Level 5 and 6 street facades.

The blades will be colour coded to express the seasons.
<cite>Urban context report, Buchan Group</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Into an active space</h2>

West Melbourne and Box Hill continue to be the two dominant non-CBD/Southbank locales where large scale apartment projects continue to be consumed by buyers at a steady rate.

Auburn Land Group's Adderley Street project becomes the 27th apartment project entry for West Melbourne within the Apartments.com.au Project Database.

As part of their planning representation, Buchan Group has delivered an overview of West Melbourne that clearly shows the march of higher density living in the suburb. Pink sections represent existing low-rise commercial plots which have become the target of many a developer, while light blue denotes single dwellings and navy multi-residential.

What can be taken from the below graphic is that West Melbourne still has an abundance of sites capable of handling higher density projects.

<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/image1_8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="West Melbourne development overview. Planning image: Buchan Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="309" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image1_8.jpg?itok=PHg6y24M" title="West Melbourne development overview. Planning image: Buchan Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>West Melbourne development overview. Planning image: Buchan Group</figcaption></figure><h2>137-157 Adderley Street development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Auburn Land Group</li>
	<li>Architect: The Buchan Group</li>
	<li>Town Planning: Urbis</li>
	<li>Traffic: O'Brien Traffic</li>
	<li>Waste Management: R B Waste Management</li>
</ul>
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Auburn Land Group enters the West Melbourne apartment market

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High-rise development sites number four and five have come under the microscope along Box Hill's Prospect Street, further pushing its credentials as the suburb's next major apartment strip.

Running parallel to Whitehorse Road, Prospect Street is "in an area inviting substantially increased intensity of use and activities consistent with an increased urbanisation." Latest into the limelight is 34-36 Prospect Street which is a major residential tower on behalf of ZL Prospect Pty Ltd.

Designed by Toauk Architects, the proposed development is currently at advertising with City of Whitehorse. Expected is a 31 level tower reaching 95 metres that includes 196 apartments, 2 retail tenancies, 1,152sqm of commercial space and 5 basement levels for 184 vehicles.

34-36 Prospect Street's provisional apartment mix sees 46 single bedroom, 138 dual and 12 triple bedroom dwellings within a tower that is dominated by a black and gold exterior.

<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/image18_17.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="34-36 Prospect Street. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="368" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_17.jpg?itok=RVabUtcd" title="34-36 Prospect Street. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>34-36 Prospect Street. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>Taouk Architects describe the project as follows:

<blockquote>
34-36 Prospect Street presents an urban design response to a location that is both capable of supporting, and is targeted for an intensive development in accordance with both the Box Hill Transit City Structure Plan and the City of Whitehorse Planning Scheme.

A mixed use development is consistent with the requirements of the Planning Scheme, and will contribute to Prospect Street as a safe and activated pedestrian corridor through the Box Hill Activity Centre.
</blockquote>

34-36 Prospect Street's offering follows on from last week's announcement by Savills that 15-17 Prospect Street had successfully sold to Chinese-based interests for $12.91 million. Billed as capable of handling 20 plus levels of residential living, the 1,305sqm site sold for a rate of $9,340 per sqm.

As with the majority of Prospect Street, the current low-rise commercial building is expected to make way for a mixed-use scheme. Backing onto rail lines, 15-17 Prospect Street is by no means alone on the southern side of Prospect Street.

<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/boxhill15-17prospectstreetp1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="15-17 Prospect Street. Image: Savills"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="470" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/boxhill15-17prospectstreetp1.jpg?itok=rLIVgy4Z" title="15-17 Prospect Street. Image: Savills" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>15-17 Prospect Street. Image: Savills</figcaption></figure>9-11 Prospect Street has approval in place for 187 apartments across a 26 storey, Artisan Architects-designed tower. It too will include commercial use across its lower floors, with 2,915sqm of leasable space within the podium.

At the time that 9-11 Prospect Street was at planning, a 1,004sqm site at 13 Prospect Street and a 1,653.7sqm site at 31-35 Prospect Street were offered for sale jointly between Colliers and JLL. Both sites are utilised as at grade car parks, with neither yet to reach planning.

With the five identified development sites set aside, Prospect Street still has a substantial supply of low-rise sites capable of eventually accommodating mixed-use towers.

In theory as many as 10-12 additional future towers could possibly rise on Prospect Street, assuming all sites are developed to their full capacity, allowing Prospect Street to become one of Box Hill most intensely developed precincts.
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Prospect Street shapes as Box Hill's next go-to development strip

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Malaysian-backed developer Beulah International is looking to well and truly underline the push by many of Melbourne's developers into the luxury apartment market by reworking an approved scheme for a prime Toorak Road land holding.

Currently at planning, Beulah International have chosen to scrap an earlier approved BDLC-designed project involving 37 apartments in favour of 10 grand-sized dwellings. Spanning 146 -150 Toorak Road West, the developer paid $17.5 million for the 1,784sqm site during 2016 and now holds the land under subsidiary Toorak Road West Project Pty Ltd.

The permit had the potential to be reconfigured to 14 oversized apartments, although Beulah International have gone further in eyeing 10 massive apartments.

Prahran-based Robert Mills Architects has assumed control over the project's design trajectory, facilitating a complete redesign and in the process shaving an entire floor off the approved envelope.

<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/image11_15.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The site's now obsolete scheme. Image: CBRE City Sales"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="342" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image11_15.jpg?itok=nxcwGgCW" title="The site's now obsolete scheme. Image: CBRE City Sales" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The site's now obsolete scheme. Image: CBRE City Sales</figcaption></figure>As with a variety of other projects throughout inner Melbourne, 146-150 Toorak Road West has been reworked from an initial 1 x single bedroom / 16 x dual bedroom / 20 x triple bedroom format to a more luxuroius configuration which sees 8 triple and 2 quadruple bedroom apartments. 33 car parking spaces are to service the dwellings.

The sheer size of each apartment highlights Beulah International's lofty expectations for the project when it eventually reaches sales. It will invariably be billed as one of Melbourne's most sought after and tightly held addresses, with expansive floorplans to match.

3 bedroom apartments are slated to have internals between 260sqm and 313sqm, with four bedroom apartments spaced between 389sqm and 381sqm. Add outdoor terraces and the largest combined space on offer comes in at a hefty 478sqm.

According to planning documents, all apartments will have tiled bathrooms, carpeted bedrooms and timber floors to kitchens, living, sitting and all other areas. The dual top floor apartments have perforated concrete slabs which allow natural light to penetrate into various living spaces; these voids double as sculptural features.

<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/image12_9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A rendered apartment within Paragon Tower. Image: Beulah International"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="313" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image12_9.jpg?itok=YxunoK5m" title="A rendered apartment within Paragon Tower. Image: Beulah International" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A rendered apartment within Paragon Tower. Image: Beulah International</figcaption></figure>Beulah International's South Yarra development is their fourth Melbourne apartment foray, following on from the now complete Gardenhill Doncaster and the in development Hallmark Ivanhoe and Paragon Tower which accounts for the Celtic Club site on La Trobe Street.

Underlining the developer's push into bespoke projects is their forthcoming South Melbourne venture which sees 27 high-end townhouses on the agenda.
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Beulah International lifts the bar for luxury apartment living in South Yarra

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City of Melbourne's Future Melbourne Committee will sit again tonight, assessing the merits of two major developments at planning.

3-43 Waterfront Way within Docklands and 493-495 St Kilda Road are on the agenda, with both projects expected to gain the nod from City of Melbourne. For 3-43 Waterfront Way the planning process has been longer than hoped for after developer Capital Alliance failed to win over planning authorities with initial plans for a 37 level tower.

Whilst that $250 million development was scuppered at VCAT, the revised plans for the irregular site now sees a 17 storey DKO Architecture-designed scheme containing 200 hotel suites and 110 residential apartments. 

Although the number of apartments has diminished from 260 to 110, the 200 hotel suites within the revised scheme matches the number within the original and much taller proposal. Capital Alliance have Marriott International waiting in the wings, with the Docklands project previously touted as the first newly built Marriott hotel in Australia for almost 20 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/image25_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="DKO Architecture's revised design for Waterfront Way"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="336" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image25_7.jpg?itok=a3eh5V6p" title="DKO Architecture's revised design for Waterfront Way" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>DKO Architecture's revised design for Waterfront Way</figcaption></figure>The Waterfront Way design also includes a function level, rooftop pool, gym, outdoor area and greenery running the height of the project.

Meanwhile, Linfox Property Group is also moving toward a positive planning outcome for its 3,017swqm land holding on Melbourne's premier boulevard. Sought is the right to deliver a 20 level residential tower set above 4 basement levels, and carrying a gross floor area of 32,202sqm.

148 dwellings are split between 19 one bedroom apartments, 73 two bedroom apartments, 55 three bedroom apartments and one penthouse. Three bedroom apartments are generally oriented over Fawkner Park and for the most range between 120-155sqm, with the premier three bedroom apartment notching 207sqm.

This number though pales into insignificance relative to the split level penthouse which includes 7 bedrooms over a whopping 720sqm.

<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/image18_15.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fender Katsalidis' new take on St Kilda Road"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="633" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_15.jpg?itok=9stPMjr1" title="Fender Katsalidis' new take on St Kilda Road" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fender Katsalidis Architects' new take on St Kilda Road</figcaption></figure>493-495 St Kilda Road would be the latest in a string of high-end residential projects looking to call St Kilda Road home. Adjoining it is The Fawkner Residences at 499 St Kilda Road which is due to reach full completion in coming months.

Should both projects go through this evening's meeting as expected, final sign off will be in the hands of the Planning Minister.
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