Blackburne seeks changes to The Grove

Blackburne has asked for further revisions to its the Grove apartment project, as the development’s value increases to at least $380 million.

The Town of Claremont has supported the amendments, which bring the number of apartments to 229, from an initial 245 approved in July then 235 approved in September last year.

The luxury apartment complex at 1 Airlie Street, on the border of Peppermint Grove, Cottesloe and Claremont, has been under construction since last year, when Multiplex was awarded the build contract.

The end value of the development was earmarked as $350 million in mid-2021, but Blackburne managing director Paul Blackburne said that has increased by at least $30 million.  

Blackburne’s revised development application, submitted by Planning Solutions, involves the amalgamation of several apartments and modifications to apartment layouts, resulting in an overall reduction of apartments to 229.

It increases the number of four-bedroom dwellings from 11 to 29 and reduces the overall residential plot ratio by 13 square metres.

Mr Blackburne said the development had drawn $250 million in pre-sales and several high-profile Western Australians had invested in the complex.

“We are about to release the ground floor commercial for lease and already have 18 registrations of interest from restaurants, cafes and health-wellbeing operators wanting to secure one of the nine tenancies on the ground level,” Mr Blackburne told Business News.

“We expect it to all be leased within two months of the release next month.”

He said the build was proceeding as planned, with the development expected to be finished within the next two years.

“Multiplex has advised that we do not have any delays due to COVID,” Mr Blackburne said.

“Multiplex and ourselves have measures in place that help prevent potential delays such as ordering supplies earlier than usual to mitigate against supply chain delays.”

A Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel will decide whether to approve the revised plans at its meeting on January 28.