Apartments developer Momentum Wealth will work closely with the Trigg community to shape the design of its boutique project at the Yelo Café site on West Coast Highway, with retention of a hospitality tenancy on the ground floor a top priority.
Apartments developer Momentum Wealth will work closely with the Trigg community to shape the design of its boutique project at the Yelo Café site on West Coast Highway, with retention of a hospitality tenancy on the ground floor a top priority.
Momentum Wealth managing director Damian Collins said the developer was aware of community concerns regarding development plans at the site, particularly the popularity of Yelo Café with local residents.
“It’s obviously a sensitive site, certainly we are keen to have the operator come back and he’s interested, but obviously he wants to see the plans,” Mr Collins told Business News.
“Even though we will have a lot of options at the ground level, we will ask the community what they want, and my gut feel is that they will want to see it continue as a cafe.
“If that’s what they want, that’s what we’ll do.”
Momentum Wealth recently settled on its $2.85 million purchase of the site, where it is planning to build three levels of apartments above a ground floor commercial tenancy, with car parking facilities to be built underground.
Mr Collins said the developer would provide architects MJA Studio a design brief, which would then be tailored through community consultation.
“We want to consult with the community, but the community has to understand the zoning and what it’s zoned for,” Mr Collins said.
“We are happy to work with the people and make amendments that are commercially sensible that are also within the bounds of what it’s zoned for.”
However, he made it clear Momentum Wealth intended to utilise the site for its maximum allowed commercial potential within the City of Stirling height limits.
“If people just say ‘I don’t want it in this area, I don’t want a change’ well, that’s not how the world works,” Mr Collins said.
He said the consultation would comprise engagement with adjacent landowners and other key stakeholders, which would then be followed by a wider campaign throughout the Trigg area.
It is expected a development application will be lodged for approval before June.
Although the exact design has not yet been formulated, Mr Collins said Momentum Wealth had already begun fielding enquiries regarding the apartments.
“It’s an awesome location, we’ve already had lots of people interested in buying the apartments before we have even launched,” he said.
“That’s remarkable in a tough market and that’s why we bought it, it’s an absolutely A-class site, right on the beach.
“Apart from Scarborough, you won’t see a lot of beachfront apartments down that way, so we’ve already had a lot of enquiry on the property.”
Mr Collins is hoping that the extensive consultation with locals will help the developer avoid issues experienced by Parcel Property further up the coast at Sorrento, at another West Coast Drive site that houses a popular cafe.
Parcel Property worked closely with planning experts Rowe Group to put together a six-storey development plan at 128 West Coast Drive, home to Voyage Kitchen, on behalf of a syndicate of landowners.
After plans were lodged, the City of Joondalup recommended that building on the site be limited to four levels.
However, the Western Australian Planning Commission later ruled to limit the project to a maximum of five levels.
The project never progressed, and is no longer listed on Parcel Property’s website as an upcoming development.