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

Hotspots

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Many have nominated Brisbane as the growth city for 2014. That certainly has been a core Hotspotting theme since the latter part of last year and nothing has happened to alter our view.
Brisbane was a moderate performer in 2013 (as were most of our cities, contrary to the media image of a national boom), only sparking to life with a return to price growth late in the year.
This happened on the back of increases in sales volumes. Brisbane ended the year with many suburbs and precincts rising on a pattern of increased market activity, pointing to price rises in 2014.
My Price Predictor Index revealed one precinct as the one most likely to lead Brisbane’s price growth revival in 2014: the northern suburbs of the Brisbane City Council area.
In most of our cities, dozens of local councils govern small portions of the metropolitan area. In Sydney, the City of Sydney encompasses only the CBD and a small number of near-city suburbs (only 4% of Greater Sydney’s total population) and there’s a similar situation is other big cities.
But Brisbane is different. The Brisbane City Council covers a major chunk of the metro area and there are only five LGAs governing the entire area of Greater Brisbane. And it’s the northern suburbs of the Brisbane LGA that have stood up as the market leader as 2014 rolls on.
Ipswich City in the south-west and Logan City in the south are also poised for growth, but the standout in terms of sales volumes is the northern portion of Brisbane City.
We rate Brisbane Northside as one of the top 10 municipalities across Australia for growth this year. Many of its suburbs have rising markets, including <a href="/news">Chermside</a> where consecutive quarters delivered 37 house and unit sales, then 80, then 101.
Others with ascendant markets include <a href="/news">Alderley</a>, <a href="/news">Aspley</a>, <a href="/news">Clayfield</a>, <a href="/news">Nundah</a> and <a href="/news">Zillmere</a>.
The northern suburbs of the Brisbane City Council LGA tend to be middle market areas, with median house prices between $450,000 and $600,000.
This is an area with good transport links, including the Gateway Motorway and rail links from central Brisbane through this precinct to the Sunshine Coast.
There are plenty of employment nodes, with hospitals, schools and government departments playing a large role. The region includes both Brisbane International Airport and the Port of Brisbane, near which is clustered the Australia TradeCoast commercial-industrial precinct.
There are major shopping complexes, including Westfield Chermside, Aspley Hypermarket and Toombul Shopping Centre. Brisbane Northside also has the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Residential property demand is strong throughout this precinct, with vacancies in most suburbs below 2.5%. There is a growing unit market in many suburbs – Nundah in the past 12 months had 112 house sales and 225 unit sales (median price $380,000), while Chermside had 103 house sales and 149 unit sales (median price $387,000).
This precinct, then, presents one of real estate’s power combinations: affordable dwellings, good infrastructure and plenty of jobs nodes.
Affordability, plus infrastructure, plus jobs nodes, usually adds up to price growth.
You can contact Terry via <a href="https://mailto:ryder@hotspotting.com.au" target="_blank">email</a> or on <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hotspotting" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. 
</body></html>

terryryder-YECXbqmri2

The standout Brisbane suburbs poised to deliver growth

<html><body>
New research released this morning from Residex, the research arm for Onthehouse, has listed 10 suburbs for expected house growth and a further 10 for unit growth that they believe will perform over the next five years.
Property market growth, overall, is expected to be steady over 2014, however some areas, particularly those in the inner ring, will potentially prove lucrative.
<blockquote>
The findings show promising areas in every capital city's inner ring for investors.
</blockquote>
John Edwards, founder of Residex, said that the findings show promising areas in every capital city's inner ring for investors.
“We are expecting to see Sydney and Melbourne’s growth rates slowdown in the next six months and in other national markets next year. Although inner ring areas often fall into the least affordable class compared to their suburban neighbours, the data indicates there are still opportunities for savvy investors, in the right suburbs," he said.
“From a national perspective, I’m expecting to see commentary from the RBA later this year that will affect consumer sentiment and again moderate growth. This will mean changes in the recent strong national growth trends. Property investors will need to be cautious about which suburbs they invest in – particularly in inner city areas, which will deliver a very mixed range of returns."
He also noted that stable growth "never occurs in a linear way", with a fall expected to be seen in growth numbers by the end of the year, with two to three years of minimal to zero growth. By 2018, strong growth is expected to re-emerge, along with the results of the suburbs below to 2019.
Overall, units are predicted to bring in lower returns than houses should. Inner ring suburbs will bring an average of 4% to 8% over the next five years, with Melbourne dominating the top five.
“Melbourne is defying past predictions. My feeling is that there is an oversupply of property, especially units, but demand is currently being propped up by three main factors: property developers are managing their units well; international buyers are supporting new unit sales; and higher public confidence is being driven by factors like good clearance rates at auction," Edwards said.
“Anybody buying property over the next 12 months needs to be aware of the growth patterns, now more than ever it is important to do solid research around the market to back up your decisions with data and insight.”
See over page for the top predicted growth suburbs
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
<img src="/images/2014/04/14/edwards%20april%2014%20one.png" alt="">
Source: Residex/Onthehouse 
What are your thoughts on these suburbs' growth potential? 
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

John Edwards' 10 house and unit suburbs expected to outperform for the next five years

<html><body>
Many residential property markets around Australia are currently in a ‘hot’ phase of their cycles. By that, I mean that these markets are in the maximum peak property values of their current market cycles.
It is a great time for sellers but a tough time for buyers.
Buyers in markets like Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and many regional centres are facing tough times right now. There are a number of contributing factors as to why these markets are so hot; not limited to the following:
<ul>
<li>A record low interest rate environment is encouraging some first time buyers in to the market who otherwise would not have been able to afford to.</li>
<li>First time Australian citizen investors, enticed by the low interest rates on offer and an increase in construction upstarts for off the plan investment purchases, are buying up properties at very high rates.</li>
<li>In regard to non-Australian-citizen/foreign investors, the introduction of relaxed government policy as well as incentives offered for certain degrees and levels of foreign investment in Australia has made for a property buying frenzy from foreign investors.</li>
<li>The ever-increasing urbanisation of Australia’s population is resulting in more people moving to capital cities as well as established regional cities also. This in turn adds demand.</li>
<li>The general ‘FOMO’ effect (fear of missing out) as a result of the above factors adds a heightened sense of urgency to another property-seeking group, mainly upgraders and second or third time property buyers.</li>
</ul>
All of this of course adds up to high asking prices in many markets. However, initial high buying prices isn’t the only challenge that occupants and residents of these hot markets will face. Different groups will be affected in these hot markets, and in different ways:
First home owners
Despite low interest rates on offer, first home buyers remain consistently out-bid and out-priced within their desired suburbs. The other worrying factor for these buyers is that even if they stretch to their absolute maximum buy rate to secure a property now, they are doing so in a very low interest rate environment.
If first home owners are stretched to their limits now, how they will cope when interest rates fluctuate back up to higher levels over the next 24 months?
I am not of the view that a massive property bubble is forming, however I don’t deny that in low middle income areas where first home buyer volumes are higher, should a significant volume of them fall under mortgage stress over the next couple of years property values in those areas may stagnate for several more years to come.
Australian-based investors
I use the phrase ‘Australian-based’ for this investor group to encompass both Australian citizens who naturalised in this country for most or all of their lives, as well as those who are newer arrivals to Australia but call Australia home (in other words, they live here full-time).
Investors who have purchased residential property in hot markets are no different to those who seek out properties in emerging or undervalued markets; all interested only in the return they get on their investment. This means that providing that either strong capital growth potential, or high rental return, are evidenced in a property purchase, they will consider a property in any market climate – hot or cold.
The problem is hot property markets mean that capital growth for that market/post code is usually at its maximum. That means that for investors seeking immediate capital growth, this will be unlikely for several more years because the property is at its peak right now.
<blockquote>
The consequences of suburb specific saturation by investors have not yet been truly seen.
</blockquote>
This means that if an investor in a hot market is truly a savvy buyer, versus a poorly-researched, ill-advised wannabe investor, they must be seeking 'hot’ (and immediate) rental return over capital growth.
That  paints an alarming picture for overall housing affordability in these markets. Investor owned properties must be charging very high rents to occupants of their properties right now to ensure their investment isn’t a massive loss-maker for them. That means that not only are property buying rates high in hot areas, but so are rents. Overall affordability to live in these cities  becomes poorer.
Non-Australian and foreign investors
Similar factors exist for foreign investors in comparison to local ones.
However, there is another factor at play. Recent investor profile data research from Australian Property Investor magazine suggests that local investors tend to buy in the same city (if not in a nearby suburb) to where they live. Foreign investors typically purchase, site-unseen, in markets that they have never lived in, nor even (in many instances) have visited.
I guess the missing ingredient here is the ‘sense of community’ that mass-property buying, condensed into a small group of ‘favoured’ suburbs or areas, erodes and the effect this has on an area. Some suburbs can become at risk of being investor ghettos whereby the ratio of owner-occupier to investor-owned property is so high that a genuine sense of community within that area becomes quickly eroded.
<blockquote>
Investors should look to emerging markets where owner-occupier to renter ratios are much more balanced.
</blockquote>
This then changes the dynamic of that entire area; eroding the gentrification developed over decades, in the space of just a decade or so of heavy investor-buying. Of course, it is not the fault of (nor should the blame be pointed at) the foreign investors themselves; but rather local and state councils, policy-makers and governments whose planning departments allow this occur, as well as property developers who exclusively market to foreign investors from the moment the first block foundation concrete is poured, en-mass. 
I draw a parallel here to post-World War Two Melbourne, where ‘outrage’ existed over the Italians buying out entire suburbs within just a couple of years after the war. The difference however, is that these communities owner-occupied the areas, made a great contribution to the ‘sense of community’ those areas had, and in hindsight were one of the major market driving factors that has given these suburbs the wonderful identity (and desirability) they have today. Yes, some areas were almost entirely ‘foreigner-owned’, but these people became locals and celebrated their communities.
Fast forward to 2014 and there is a lot of uncertainty around the concentrated foreign-investor buyouts of entire suburbs. This is because investors are not living in the suburbs themselves. They do not have say a vested interest in ensuring the local park lands are maintained, or that roads don’t become too congested, or that units and houses are not occupied by too many people, and so on.
It is no doubt clear that hot property markets offer rewards and benefits for some property owners. However, the implications of investor buying extend beyond just bumping the rental and purchase prices up. The consequences of suburb specific saturation by investors have not yet been truly seen. Ever the optimist as I am, I remain doubtful that investors buying in hot areas, at a grand scale, will be a positive thing for those areas.
Investors should look to emerging markets where owner-occupier to renter ratios are much more balanced.
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cmcevoy-Go82SmsJA9

Investor saturation in suburb hotspots will have consequences for residents and investors

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Apartments.com.au couldn't possibly write a finer preamble to today's video/article than what is found on the exceptional <a href="http://smithstreetlife.com.au" target="_blank">Smith Street Life</a> website which dedicates itself to all things Smith Street. Regarding the increasing number of apartment developments on and immediately surrounding the famed strip, the website states of the Street itself:

<blockquote>
Smith Street's public face is under reconstruction, with at least three major development works in progress presenting a shift to Smith Street's cultural and community evolution. 
Melbourne’s oldest shopping strip, Smith Street’s revival is likely to be enhanced with construction taking place at various stages, and faces, along Smith Street's historical façades. 
With history and heritage dating back to the early 1800’s there is no doubt that Smith Street’s changing facades are providing a new pillar in Melbourne’s history. The changing identity of Smith Street, from a place of diversity, history and heritage, towards a more likely gentrified future is reflected in three different property developments each with their own different approach.
<cite><a href="http://www.smithstreetlife.com.au/the-changing-faces-of-smith-street" target="_blank">Smith Street Life: The changing faces of Smith Street</a></cite>
</blockquote>

The newest addition to <a href="/architects/grimshaw-architects" target="_blank">Grimshaw Architects</a> Melbourne office and regular Apartments.com.au contributor Laurence Dragomir along with <a href="/developers/neometro" target="_blank">Neometro</a>'s founder Jeff Provan feature in Apartments.com.au's most recent video - produced by our partners <a href="http://www.thevideoagency.com.au/" target="_blank">The Video Agency</a> - Hotspots: Smith Street

<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/87231917" width="100%"></iframe>

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://vimeo.com/87231917">Hot Spot: Smith Street</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user19840635">The Video Agency</a> on Vimeo.

See below a summary of the aforementioned 16 current apartment projects on and around Smith Street.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px">Under Assessment</td>
			<td style="width:245px">Registration and Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"><a href="/new-apartments/atrium-fitzroy-230-moor-street-fitzroy">229 Smith Street</a></td>
			<td style="width:245px">
<a href="/buildings/9-smith-street-9-smith-street-fitzroy" target="_blank">9 Smith Street </a>(moved to sales post video)</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px">Approved</td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/oxford-peel-22-peel-street-collingwood">Oxford &amp; Peel - 22 Peel Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px">7 Hodgson Street</td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/tapestry-apartments-80-stanley-street-collingwood" target="_blank">Tapestry - 80 Stanley Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"><a href="/buildings/the-lantern-195-wellington-street-collingwood" target="_blank">195 Wellington Street</a></td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/haus-apartments-416-smith-street-collingwood" target="_blank">Haus - 416 Smith Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"><a href="/buildings/221-kerr-street-fitzroy">221 Kerr Street</a></td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/41-peel-street-collingwood" target="_blank">41 Peel Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"><a href="/new-apartments/237-smith-street-fitzroy" target="_blank">237 Smith Street</a></td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/little-ox-2-johnston-street-collingwood" target="_blank">Little Ox - 2 Johnston Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"><a href="/new-apartments/305-311-smith-street-fitzroy" target="_blank">305-311 Smith Street</a></td>
			<td style="width:245px">Under Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"><a href="/buildings/yorkshire-1-robert-st-collingwood" target="_blank">Yorkshire - 1 Robert Street</a></td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/smith-co-132-172-smith-street-collingwood">132 Smith Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"> </td>
			<td style="width:245px"><a href="/buildings/you-and-i-450-smith-street-collingwood" target="_blank">You &amp; I - 450 Smith Street</a></td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:243px"> </td>
			<td style="width:245px">Oxley - 46 Stanley Street</td>
		</tr>
</tbody></table>
<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/9SMITH_IMAGES_FINAL_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" style="font-size: 12px;" title="The latest project to reach sales - 9 Smith Street. Image © Neometro"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/9SMITH_IMAGES_FINAL_1.jpg?itok=tB9M6nSt" style="height:336px; width:580px" title="The latest project to reach sales - 9 Smith Street. Image © Neometro"></a>

With 9 Smith Street the most recent project to proceed to sales, it breaks the sequence of all projects currently at sales or under construction being located on the eastern side of Smith Street.

It would be an interesting social study to track over the coming months and years how the influx of new dwellings and residents will affect Smith Street's current dynamic. With an abundance of suitable development sites on and within close proximity to Smith Street, the trend of higher density living and increased population looks set to continue.
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Alastair Taylor

Hotspot Video: Smith Street apartment boom in focus

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A stone's throw from the sacred cow that is Camberwell, a subtle yet concerted change has taken effect over both Hawthorn and Hawthorn East. While all three suburbs fall within the city of Boroondara, Camberwell remains staunch in its opposition to any development with the likes of Geoffrey Rush and Barry Humphries leading the charge, with the failed Camberwell Station development firmly in mind. Both Hawthorn and Hawthorn East have in recent years headed down a different path with apartment developments slowly, and now rapidly gaining a foothold.

Five large apartments developments are currently under construction in Hawthorn, they being <a href="/new-apartments/atria-291-burwood-road-hawthorn">Atria Apartments</a>, <a href="http://www.emblemapartments.com/welcome">Emblem Hawthorn</a>, Riva Hawthorn, The Collective and <a href="http://www.sconstruction.com.au/22-wattle-road-hawthorn/">22 Wattle Road</a>. Together these five projects will deliver an impressive 491 apartments into an area well served with Public Transport links, retail and commercial space, Swinburne University and a 119 room hotel run by Asian Pacific Group. Clearly the infrastructure exists for substantial apartment development and developers have come knocking, so in no particular order we will look at what's upcoming for the area.

<h2>Hawthorn Hill - 410-420 Burwood Road, Hawthorn</h2>

Set behind a historic mansion, Hawthorn Hill apartments is the latest project from developer Equiset. Designed by Bates Smart, the nine level building is currently at registrations via the project website. The building will carry 64 apartments and 62 car parking spaces in what will be a high-end apartment building with expansive views owing to its heightened location. A public launch is pending.

<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/EXT4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Hawthorn Hill. Image courtesy 360 Property Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/EXT4.jpg?itok=_9pKZLQE" title="Hawthorn Hill. Image courtesy 360 Property Group" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Hawthorn Hill. Image courtesy 360 Property Group</figcaption></figure><h2>The Independent - 124-130 Burwood Road, Hawthorn</h2>

The Independent will be the latest offering from ICD Property. Turning to Orbit Architecture once more, the design supersedes a previous scheme and instead will seek to deliver this fetching project. Details are sketchy but the six level project will avail itself soon enough.

<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/Image55652.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Orbit Architecture have conceived The Independent. Image © Orbit Solutions"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image55652.jpg?itok=E9QYeNlI" title="Orbit Architecture have conceived The Independent. Image © Orbit Solutions" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Orbit Architecture have conceived The Independent. Image © Orbit Solutions</figcaption></figure><h2>My Place Hawthorn - 10-12 Albert Street, Hawthorn East</h2>

One of the growing throng of apartment projects within close proximity to Auburn Station, My Place Hawthorn won approval via VCAT last year. A fully functional display suite is onsite yet the project has not launched publicly. The seven level, L-shaped project which also fronts Lilydale Grove has been designed by Carabott Holt Turcinov and will hold 151 apartments according to its planning application. The building will include an expansive courtyard designed by Jack Merlo.

<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/Image7441.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Renders of My Place Hawthorn. Images © Scharp Design"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image7441.jpg?itok=H6xrcviI" title="Renders of My Place Hawthorn. Images © Scharp Design" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Renders of My Place Hawthorn. Images © Scharp Design</figcaption></figure><h2>Alta Apartments - 456 Barkers Road, Hawthorn East</h2>

With a sales campaign held early last year Alta Apartments seemingly faltered. Quite honestly we don't know too much about this project but a number of online sources say the project will be launching soon - time will tell. Designed by Crosier Scott the project fits in 41 apartments in a project fitting in both scale and design quality.

<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/ALTA1_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Alta Apartments. Image © Crosier Scott"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/ALTA1_0.jpg?itok=SG2RWsdZ" title="Alta Apartments. Image © Crosier Scott" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Alta Apartments. Image © Crosier Scott</figcaption></figure><h2>Leo Apartments - 18 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East</h2>

70% sold at launch last weekend. Not too shabby at all for the team from Kokoda Property Group who with Artisan Architects have conceived Leo. The project will take its place on the ever popular Camberwell Road where projects up to six levels are/will be the norm. 88 apartments in total meaning roughly 26 still at market as of earlier this week - snap to it!

<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/Image66563.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Going strong at Leo. Image © Artisan Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image66563.jpg?itok=lh3QDWNE" title="Going strong at Leo. Image © Artisan Architects" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Going strong at Leo. Image © Artisan Architects</figcaption></figure><h2>Hawthorn Black - 5-7 Montrose Street, Hawthorn East</h2>

A product of ITUM Property and BG Architects, Hawthorn Black will contain 55 apartments in an altogether decent looking building. Platinum Construction have been engaged to build the project so a start seems imminent. ITUM's website describes the project as "An economic and eco-friendly building, inflected with a touch of the area's history and an aesthetic affinity to its environment. The apartment complex features Hawthorn Black Brick which pays homage to the visual style of bygone Hawthorn."

<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_6728.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Hawthorn Black by ITUM Development"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_6728.jpg?itok=87EJzwGl" title="Hawthorn Black by ITUM Development" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Hawthorn Black by ITUM Development</figcaption></figure><h2>Syracuse - 8 Queens Avenue, Hawthorn</h2>

Syracuse Hawthorn has ringed up 60% sales according to the projects website. Slowly but surely the little apartment project that could has moved the majority of its 27 apartments on offer. Apartments still available but this project in a quiet pocket off Burwood Road will move to construction seemingly quite soon.

<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/Image54524.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Syracuse Hawthorn has made steady sales progress. Image courtesy Beller Marketing"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image54524.jpg?itok=YwVMrLGl" title="Syracuse Hawthorn has made steady sales progress. Image courtesy Beller Marketing" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Syracuse Hawthorn has made steady sales progress. Image courtesy Beller Marketing</figcaption></figure><h2>Brilliant Hawthorn - 30-32 Lilydale Grove, Hawthorn East</h2>

66 apartments are up for grabs within Brilliant Hawthorn. A product of Topgan Group and Interlandi Mantesso Architects, the project has gone through the standard channels for construction tender with Hacer, Becon,Construction Engineering, Buildcorp Commercial and Harris HMC jostling to deliver the apartment project. A mix of one and two bedroom apartments are available with an overall sales worth of $45 million plus.

<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/Image8_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Brilliant Hawthorn. Image © brillianthawthorn.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image8_10.jpg?itok=lvQDIScH" title="Brilliant Hawthorn. Image © brillianthawthorn.com.au" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Brilliant Hawthorn. Image © brillianthawthorn.com.au</figcaption></figure><h2>Solstice Apartments - 138 Camberwell Road, Hawthorn East</h2>

The website has yet to divulge much information but Solstice looms as one the area's premier apartment developments with Fender Katsalidis and Benson Property Group teaming up to conceive this 108 apartment project. Visually top notch with a large internal courtyard, Solstice will carry 31 one bedroom apartments and 77 two bed options. Last night (21st August) Marshall White and Australian Finance &amp; Property Solutions Group (AFPS Group) held an information night onsite at 138 Camberwell Road, so a public launch is imminent.

<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/Imagevc9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The curves of Solstice. Images © Fender Katsalidis"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Imagevc9.jpg?itok=2GkOGMU_" title="The curves of Solstice. Images © Fender Katsalidis" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>The curves of Solstice. Images © Fender Katsalidis</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

While the nine above projects are set to add approximately 640 apartments to the area's stock, they also ensure that Hawthorn/Hawthorn East will be home to a number of tower cranes for the foreseeable future. Coupled with the cluster of projects mentioned at the head of the article already under construction and over 1000 new apartments will be added to the area in the short/medium term with a broad choice of designs, layouts and amenity available.

Impressive yes, but in an upcoming article, we will look at a number of planning applications/projects within Hawthorn/Hawthorn East that have yet to make their mark.
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silvermb

Hawthorn apartment market: the quiet achiever

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A piece today highlighting the march of apartment living into areas you may not expect. Bay Road joins both Sandringham and Cheltenham with Sandringham Station and Southland Shopping Centre notable markers at either end. With an abundance of vacant blocks and dilapidated light industrial structures, Bay Road lends itself to intensive redevelopment given the abundance of nearby services/amenity.

And so a number of apartment projects have begun in recent months, the most notable being Sandy Hill and The Bay located next to one another, spanning 218-228 Bay Road, Sandringham.

<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/Image5621.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sandy Hill &amp; The Bay side by side. Images © respective websites"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image5621.jpg?itok=vYRpAQe8" title="Sandy Hill &amp; The Bay side by side. Images © respective websites" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Buxton Constructions website news feed for <a href="/buildings/sandy-hill-penthouse-222-bay-road-sandringham" target="_blank">Sandy Hill</a> reads as follows;

Sandringham's skyline set to change The $50 million stage one of the imposing Sandyhill Apartments in Sandringham comprises 187 of the 495 apartments scheduled to be constructed on the expansive Bay Road site. Rising to eight levels on the south section and six on the north, the complex consists of reinforced concrete post-tensioned slabs, columns and pre-cast panels over a three-level basement incorporating car parking and residents' storage areas. 

Excavated to a depth of almost seven metres, the basement – with a drained sub-slab – descends below the water table, requiring the installation of concrete diaphragm retaining walls below ground level. “When the more than 25,000 cubic-metres of soil has been removed and the retention walls are completed, the two tower cranes required for materials handling will be installed and dominate the local skyline for almost two years,” Buxton project manager Lucas Forsyth said.

<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_5376.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="One of two expected tower cranes in action on Sandy Hill Apartments"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_5376.jpg?itok=ItgVLWVe" title="One of two expected tower cranes in action on Sandy Hill Apartments" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Next door, <a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/projects/bayside/the-bay-sandringham-218-bay-road-sandringham" target="_blank">The Bay</a> with 112 apartments is also under construction, with Ione Property's description reading as follows

The bay is a unique apartment building built in the hub of Bay St Sandringham, located within a recently remodelled district surrounded by new office buildings. Only 500m to Bluff Rd Medical Centre, 3km to Linacre Private Hospital, 1.2km to Sandringham Memorial Hospital and 100m from Sandringham East Primary &amp; Sandringham College. Shops 1.5km to Bay Rd Shops and Cafes, 2.7km to Southland Shopping Centre and Transport 2km to Sandringham Station.

<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_5270_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Bay under construction"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_5270_0.jpg?itok=Rx8pxJiA" title="The Bay under construction" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

These two developments combined will yield an impressive 607 new apartments for the area, yet they may be a precursor to what Places Victoria has in store. Currently holding a site at 329 Bay Road Cheltenham, sized at 15,000sqm, the Government agency is also negotiating with the Commonwealth Government to <a href="http://www.theweeklyreviewbayside.com.au/story/1387475/bayside-council-battles-to-retain-control-over-highett-csrio-site-redevelopment/" target="_blank">purchase the CSIRO site</a> adjoining 329 Bay Road. At 90,000sqm the CSIRO site is mind-boggling, these two sites combined would deliver a development site of 105,000sqm !

329 Bay Road alone is now subject to an initial Places Victoria proposal, with apartment buildings up to eight levels included amongst the sites mixed uses. Should the CSIRO site fall under the auspices of Places Victoria, Bay Road will definitely be an apartment hotspot of the future.

 

 
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Hotspots - All the way along the Bay?

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If I were to simply mention Lygon Street, most would automatically assume I was talking about Little Italia in Carlton. Approximately 2km North of the cafés, pizzerias and gelato shoppes of Carlton, Lygon Street, East Brunswick has turned into a nightlife and development hotspot. Truth be known Lygon Street is the border of Brunswick and East Brunswick however many of the locals simply refer to both sides of the street as East Brunswick, much like Smith Street is the border between Fitzroy and Collingwood and "Smith St Collingwood" is the generally accepted locale reference, 

The 1.2 km stretch of Lygon Street intersecting with Brunswick Road to the south and Albion Street to the north is a hotbed of bars &amp; pubs, wholesale outlets, restaurants, brothels, unique retailers, derelict buildings, some remnant light industry - you name it, it's got it. Of particular interest to the myself and other UM staff members are the breweries and craft beer venues that have recently flourished, yet the area is also seeing substantial interest from developers keen to leverage off this neighbourhood's appeal and as UrbanMelbourne does, we've tracked all major projects from proposal through to construction.

UrbanMelbourne earlier this year touched upon the <a href="/news/transforming-australian-cities-a-must-read" target="_blank">Transforming Australian Cities</a> strategy that aims to focus higher-density development along existing public transport corridors and the strategy maintains new development should be low to mid-rise.  Blessed with 2 tram routes running on the one track - the #1 and #8 - Lygon Street sees very high frequency of service between Moreland Road (further north) to  Swanston Street where the two lines merge with others tram services at Melbourne University.  Throw in a healthy mix of cross-town bus routes on key East-West arterials, <a href="/news/bus-routes-which-need-improvement-the-506" target="_blank">although many of the individual bus routes could be improved</a>, an existing &amp; thriving retail sector and you have a recipe which can sustain a higher residential and working population.

As the gallery (page bottom) shows, many recent builds and new apartments are forming a street wall approximately 3-4 levels high, with setbacks forming small-scale towers beyond - this is important as it demonstrates we can build more density into existing areas whilst maintaining streetscape sun penetration.

To date Lygon Street has mainly attracted residential development, but one wonders if this will always remain the case given the excellent connectivity and general appeal of the area.  Below is a list of the projects UrbanMelbourne is monitoring and no doubt there'll be many more to come over the years.

<a href="/new-apartments/brunswick-vic-3056">Upper Lygon - 457-459 Lygon Street.</a>

Under Construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/Building%20Exterior%20-%20Low%20Res.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 487px;">

 

<a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/projects/moreland/kale-apartments-455-lygon-st-brunswick#content" target="_blank">Kale Apartments - 455 Lygon Street.</a>

Registration &amp; Sales

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/2010294544_1_FS.JPG" style="width: 710px; height: 600px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/stratus-360-lygon-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">Stratus - 360 Lygon Street.</a>

Under construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/00-RENDER001-Exterior_Crn-Victoria-Lygon_001.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 611px;">

 

The East - 280 Lygon Street.

Registration &amp; Sales

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/front%20facade%20web.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 449px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/joulia-200-lygon-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">Joulia - 200 Lygon Street</a>

Under Construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/22_F1002064C_119.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 473px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/tip-top-brunswick-170-edward-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">Tip Top - 170 Edward Street</a>

Under Construction

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/image-tools.php__3.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 473px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/seamstress-11-13-lygon-street-brunswick-east">11-13 Lygon Street</a>

Approved

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/Lygon_03_4ea5eff92f20f.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 395px;">

 

<a href="/buildings/8-lygon-street-brunswick-east" target="_blank">6-20 Lygon Street</a>

Approved

<img alt="" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/project-renders/residential-multi-2_src_3_0.jpg" style="width: 710px; height: 459px;">

 

Below is a gallery of some recent construction images taken by UrbanMelbourne.info staff on Lygon Street, East Brunswick
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Hotspots: Lygon Street, East Brunswick

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Consider Wilson Street, South Yarra a snapshot of Melbourne at large. For so long a light commercial area typified by a multitude of single level factories, Wilson Street like Melbourne all over has seen an ever increasing number of residential projects take root as developers ride the increasing popularity of apartment living. There are now five apartment buildings at different stages of the development cycle along Wilson Street.

As old factories disappear, medium rise apartment buildings take their place in what seems to be South Yarra's back blocks of strength. Nearby Garden Street and Simmons Street are also subject to mid-rise proposals. While this pocket may not have the size and glitz of a Forest Hill precinct address nearby, they're equally well if not better positioned in accessing Chapel Street's many offerings.

Pure, Kudos, WLSN and Mode shown below will together yield 111 new apartments and conceivably 200+ new residents to the area.

<a href="/buildings/pure-apartments-42-wilson-street-south-yarra" target="_blank">Pure Apartments - 42 Wilson Street</a>. Registration &amp; Sales

<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_16_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Pure Apartments - 42 Wilson Street, South Yarra. Image © pureapartments.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image1_16_0.jpg?itok=1VwEgdrG" title="Pure Apartments - 42 Wilson Street, South Yarra. Image © pureapartments.com.au" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<a href="/new-apartments/kudos-26-wilson-st-south-yarra">Kudos - 26 Wilson Street</a>. Registration &amp; Sales

<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_0_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Kudos - 26 Wilson St, South Yarra. Image courtesy moneychoice.com"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image10_0_0.jpg?itok=9WZTSAtF" title="Kudos - 26 Wilson St, South Yarra. Image courtesy moneychoice.com" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<a href="/buildings/the-wlsn-7-wilson-street-south-yarra" target="_blank">WLSN Apartments - 7 Wilson Street</a>. Under construction

<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/Image9_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The WLSN - 7 Wilson St, South Yarra. Image © thewlsn.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image9_4.jpg?itok=PGp1Xxe9" title="The WLSN - 7 Wilson St, South Yarra. Image © thewlsn.com.au" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<a href="/buildings/mode-25-wilson-street-south-yarra" target="_blank">Mode Apartments - 25 Wilson Street</a>. Under construction

<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/1_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Mode - 25 Wilson St, South Yarra. Image courtesy Proalliance"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/1_1.jpg?itok=mpHeKnlF" title="Mode - 25 Wilson St, South Yarra. Image courtesy Proalliance" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Add to these the latest and largest development nearing the starters gun with images below depicting 31-43 Wilson Street. Abutting Mode Apartments the site is currently under control of Valeo Construction and under demolition. Details are limited but images via Fraher Design 3D show a large nine level apartment complex with active street frontage to Wilson Street. Underground carpark access is seemingly via Garden Lane to the rear of the building while a north-south passage and lobby is also visible. Looking remarkably similar to A Place To Live apartments on Burnley Street, Richmond one could make the assumption that SJB Architects may well be responsible for the design.

Projects such as those above certainly don't garner the media attention (or hysterical response for that matter) of the high rises through Melbourne's CBD and Southbank, yet are no less important to the overall apartment stock. What is happening in Wilson Street is happening Melbourne over, the rapid increase in mid-rise apartment buildings during the past few years has been impressive, and shows no sign of abating.
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The Wilson Street microcosm

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As a follow-up piece to my recent <a href="/news/anstey-in-colour" target="_blank">Anstey in Colour</a> piece, today we'll dissect the growing number of apartment buildings surrounding Anstey Station and the subsequent change in the area's urban character. Below the reader will find more questions than answers, designed to provoke thought more than anything else.

Firstly though a brief outline of the area's recent and ongoing renewal into an apartment enclave.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="375" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msa=0&amp;msid=211205020527797360410.0004dc970867eec7df460&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;t=m&amp;ll=-37.762437,144.961295&amp;spn=0.005937,0.00912&amp;z=16&amp;output=embed" width="100%"></iframe> View <a href="https://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?msa=0&amp;msid=211205020527797360410.0004dc970867eec7df460&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;t=m&amp;ll=-37.762437,144.961295&amp;spn=0.005937,0.00912&amp;z=16&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Anstey in Development</a> in a larger map

Completed (Yellow)                                         Under construction (Red)                                            At sales (Green)

20 Breese Street - Anstey Square                 <a href="/new-apartments/brunswick-vic-3056">7 Florence Street - The Commons </a>                            <a href="/buildings/the-wilkinson-33-breese-street-brunswick" target="_blank">33 Breese Street - The Wilkinson</a>

10-12 Breese Street                                        <a href="/buildings/geox-37-breese-street-brunswick" target="_blank">37 Breese Street - Geox Apartments</a>                          <a href="/buildings/host-of-brunswick-8-hope-street-brunswick" target="_blank">10-14 Hope Street - Shimalli</a>

32 Breese Street                                              <a href="/buildings/westside-4-west-street-brunswick" target="_blank">4 west street - Westside Apartments</a>

28 Breese Street                                              8 Hope Street                                                                  Impending development (Purple)

3 Florence Street                                                                                                                                         26 Breese Street

208 Albion street                                                                                                                                         16 Hope Street

Revisiting Anstey in Colour, I noted that light industrial inner city areas such as Anstey are ripe for higher density apartment living. Sandwiched between Sydney Road and the Upfield rail line in an already highly desirable area to live, Anstey is dominated by single level factories and presents a golden opportunity to implement a sustainable higher density outcome while still being sympathetic to the area's urban character.

Currently the area has a very much unscripted feel about it. Florence and Breese Street below typifies the contrast of older dwellings heavy with charm and newer, albeit far more sterile apartment complexes. Given these new developments carry little of no retail offering and seemingly shun street activity, the average passer-by is left with little to no stimulus.

<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_7873.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The contrast of Florence Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_7873.jpg?itok=frgq0Wqm" title="The contrast of Florence Street" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

The under construction Westside Apartments (below Left) is very much symptomatic of the new wave of apartment developments in the area. A small block leads to full site utilisation with little room for other features or meaningful street activation. Aesthetically OK when viewed in isolation, the issue arises when multiple versions of developments such as Westside meet wall to wall and maintain the same lack of street level acknowledgement.

Enter the current eastern side of Breese Street (below right). The sum of the whole seems to be a far worse outcome than what each development brings in isolation. No setbacks, narrow footpaths, wide roads (in parts) and no street level activation - is smart urban design present here?

<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_4997_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Westside apartments (left) with Breese Street. Render © westsideapartments.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_4997_1.jpg?itok=2ulvHBUs" title="Westside apartments (left) with Breese Street. Render © westsideapartments.com.au" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

What could have been achieved though with minor changes at minimal expense? The image below shows the Anstey Square redevelopment with 10-12 Breese Street to its right. Simple changes or Council clauses could have been incorporated during the design and approval process to make this a far superior outcome to what was built in recent years.

Given the areas impressive catalogue of street art which will diminish over time as more sites are developed, the precast panels for instance facing Breese Street would have represented a perfect opportunity to allocate each panel to an artist for a tasteful mural, possibly recognising the site or the immediate area's history. This would have brought vibrancy and an element of interest to the street scape.

<a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/development/2013/04/01/is-this-melbournes-best-new-residential-development" target="_blank">7 Florence Street</a> aside, the lack of incorporated greenery through these new apartment developments is highly noticeable. Coupled with an already desolate streetscape, these new apartment developments add very little greenery resulting in a somewhat hostile environment at ground level. Creepers over the fence line or vertical gardens heading up the buildings precast concrete elements would have provided immense urban returns for minimal outlay. And what of simple fixed planter boxes along the roof line of these buildings?

<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_4990.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="20 Breese Street / Anstey Square with 10-12 Breese Street to the rear"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_4990.jpg?itok=yUkbQXJ1" title="20 Breese Street / Anstey Square with 10-12 Breese Street to the rear" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

Where does City of Moreland stand in this? This area demonstrates rapid-fire development without a cohesive, overarching structure plan. It may well have one, but if it does it's average at best. Herein lies the worth of development structure plans, height limits aside they should seek to enrich the urban character of an area, to make an area better than what is was prior . Is it worth Council imposing a minimal levy per every apartment sold from this point on in order to fund improvement works? Simple and relatively cheap options such as removing every fifth parallel carpark and replacing those spaces with water sensitive raised garden beds doubling as seating allows the built form to be broken up,  increases amenity/shade and a provides place for individuals to congregate and interact.

Ultimately the purpose of this article is to portray the notion that minor changes, even retrospectively can lead to major urban gains. Anstey Station's surrounds still has tremendous scope for development, here's hoping that's matched with an shift in attitudes by developers, architects and council alike.

To that end Laurence will reveal a spectacular Blockhead concept for the redevelopment of Brunswick Market tomorrow. Central to the Anstey area and the primary driver in attracting people traffic through the immediate area, the concept will try to balance commercial realities with heightened environmental, urban and design principles.

 

Further images of Anstey below
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Anstey in Development

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The area in and around St Kilda Junction is in the process of becoming the next hot spot for Melbourne apartments. A healthy number of residential projects are at all stages of the development cycle, that being from design to construction.

This in turn has ruffled the feathers of local residents and the local responsible authority, the City of Port Phillip. Given residential towers up to 26 levels have been approved (by either planning minister Matthew Guy or VCAT) despite local opposition, the City of Port Phillip responded on 12th February 2013 by seeking to impose interim mandatory height controls over the St Kilda Rd South zone. The area covered is immediately south of St Kilda junction to Carlisle St.

The City of Port Phillip ordinary Council notes read as follows, "Resolves to request the Minister for Planning to use his powers pursuant to section 20(4) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, to prepare, adopt and approve an amendment to the Port Phillip Planning Scheme, to introduce mandatory height controls into the Port Phillip Planning Scheme for the St Kilda Road south area generally in accordance with the height requirements contained in this report on an interim basis for a period of two years...the lack of detailed design and height controls in the planning scheme were determining factors in the overturning of Council’s decisions by VCAT and the granting of the permits."

In effect the City of Port Phillip seeks the following:

Precinct 1 St Kilda Road – between Wellington Street and Alma Road 
• Street wall height 10 metres 
• Maximum building height – 26 metres Precinct 2 St Kilda Road – between Alma Road and Carlisle Street Wellington Street and Carlisle Street 
• Street wall height 10 metres (8 metres in Carlisle &amp; Wellington Street south side) 
• Maximum building height – 14 metres (12 metres in Carlisle &amp; Wellington Street south side.)

From the outside it seems the City of Port Phillip have been slow to react to an expanding number of apartment proposals, hence VCAT granting approval to a number of projects that both residents and local Council find to be excessive.

Given there is no binding height control overlay, VCAT deemed these projects to be appropriate. The reality is that Port Phillip's request that the Minister for Planning use his powers to approve an amendment to the Port Phillip Planning Scheme most likely will not eventuate. Minister Guy personally intervened to approve the tallest proposal in the area; 3-5 St Kilda Rd, quite possibly a sign the the state government has intentions of intensifying redevelopment around the junction, rather than restricting it.

Regardless of planning jostling between local and state bodies, the list of proposed and approved projects around the junction is extensive. Currently before VCAT is an application for an 18 level apartment tower at 42 Barkly St, whilst at 3-7 Alma Rd, an 8 level application is also under consideration. Further projects are shown below.

<a href="/buildings/allure-11-15-wellington-st-st-kilda" target="_blank">Allure</a> - Currently under construction

<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/ext_01_lge.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Pace Development Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/ext_01_lge.jpg" title="Image © Pace Development Group" typeof="Image"></a>

<a href="http://urbanmelbourne.info/projects/port-phillip/2-8-st-kilda-rd-st-kilda" target="_blank">2-8 St Kilda Rd</a> - Site offered for sale and then withdrawn by Pace Development Group for future development

<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_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="2-8 St Kilda Rd entry © Jackson Clenet Burrowes"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Image1_3.jpg" title="2-8 St Kilda Rd entry © Jackson Clenet Burrowes" typeof="Image"></a>

<a href="/new-apartments/st-kilda-vic-3182">Octavia</a> -  At sales with construction imminent

<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/as-1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="© Stab Visualisation"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/as-1.jpg" title="© Stab Visualisation" typeof="Image"></a>

<a href="/buildings/meridian-25-alma-road-st-kilda" target="_blank">25-29 Alma Rd</a> - Currently before VCAT

<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/2-111221-vcat-view-1.JPG" rel="gallery-all" title="© CH Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/2-111221-vcat-view-1.JPG" title="© CH Architects" typeof="Image"></a>

<a href="/new-apartments/s-t-k-apartments-3-st-kilda-road-st-kilda">3-5 St Kilda Rd</a> -  Approved with Caydon expected to launch sales mid-year

<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/3-5%20st%20kilda%20road2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image courtesy realestatesource.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/3-5%20st%20kilda%20road2.jpg" title="Image courtesy realestatesource.com.au" typeof="Image"></a>

The significant number of projects above are joined by another, though this time north of the Junction. Shorley Pty Ltd is waiting on the decision of VCAT regarding its proposed tower at 30 Punt Rd, Windsor. Stonnington City Council failed to grant a permit within the prescribed time period, hence the developers move to resolution at VCAT. This site (shown below) abuts Queens Way and would replace a lowrise office building.

<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_6056.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="30 Punt Rd site with Allure apartments under construction to the rear"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_6056.jpg" title="30 Punt Rd site with Allure apartments under construction to the rear" typeof="Image"></a>

<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_6020.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="30 Punt Rd site framed by Queens Way and Marquise apartments to the left"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_6020.jpg" title="30 Punt Rd site framed by Queens Way and Marquise apartments to the left" typeof="Image"></a>

Initial plans involved a green wave-like apartment building designed by Terry Harper Architects. 30 Punt Rd was to contain 58 basement car parks, 48 bicycle and storage spaces, a 43sqm office space and 78 apartments. Due to opposition from the Shrine of Remembrance trustees, the planned 17 level, 63.75m tower has been reduced to 59 apartments, 13 levels and 52m in order to protect the Shrine vista sightline, even though 3-5 St Kilda Rd is approved at 91m directly behind!

Resident action group JAAG St Kilda contend the following, "The apartment tower is far too tall, is visually bulky, lacks any set backs, creates over looking and shadowing, lacks any landscaping, fails to meet local planning laws and seriously exacerbates existing serious parking problems at the Junction."

As of yet there has been no decision released by VCAT

 

Images below sourced from planning document and © Terry Harper Architects
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