Green light for $107m West Perth plan

A developer will turn a rundown West Perth site into a $107 million hotel and apartment complex after receiving unanimous support from an assessment panel.

The Metro Inner-North Joint Development Assessment Panel today unanimously approved APPL Group’s proposal to build six buildings on 463-507 Newcastle Street, bordering an arts precinct locally known as the Pickle District.

The development, dubbed Sydney Charles Quarter, will occupy a 2.2-hectare City Motors site bound by Charles, Newcastle, and Golding streets and Old Aberdeen Place.

APPL Group is a property and investment company linked to the family behind former car dealer Automotive Holdings Group.

The former City Motors car dealership site is a key location in the City of Vincent’s recently-adopted Pickle District Planning Framework.

Sydney Charles Wheatley founded AHG in 1952, which was acquired by Eagers Automotive in 2019.

The City Motors dealership in West Perth was one of the first the Wheatley family set up.

Mr Wheatley’s granddaughter Michelle Prater is an executive chair of APPL and a non-executive director of Eagers Automotive, and was a former AHG director.

Ms Prater said the SCQ development would acknowledge the locality’s history with a significant focus on WA art.

“For example, as the former site of City Motors, automotive-inspired artwork will feature along with recycled building components strategically integrated throughout the development,” she said after the meeting.

The proposed Sydney Charles Quarter development in West Perth. Image: Cameron Chisholm Nicol.

“When all of the stages are complete, SCQ will bring together nearly all of the housing options, a first for Perth, from short-term to co-living, owner-occupied and build-to-rent, which is exciting.”

“Working in unison with the residential zones, the commercial spaces including shops, fitness, supermarket, commercial, office and food and beverage options are all designed to support each other and create a strong sense of connection and community.

“We spent several years researching for the project and put a lot of consideration into the development, bringing to market the best of old neighbourhood values and the new way in which people want to live.”

The buildings will vary from one to seven storeys and will include 61 co-living apartments, 32 build to rent residential apartments, a 120-room hotel, office and commercial components, and a multi-use, public open space named The Commons.

A two-storey Old Pickle Factory building will be retained for a food and beverage tenancy named The Pickle Shed, according to the development application.

City councillor and JDAP member Ashley Wallace said the site needed a facelift for some time.

Fellow JDAP member and Vincent councillor Jonathan Hallett said the proposal was slightly underdeveloped, but he was comforted with the applicant’s focus on public art in the space.

“The central theme of that area is protecting and celebrating arts as a capital arts precinct for the city,” he said.

The applicant's development application was prepared by Rowe Group with designs by architecture firm Cameron Chisholm Nicol.

Vincent mayor Alison Xamon said the mixed-use urban village would be the biggest development the Pickle District had ever seen.

“It is aligned with the vision for the site in our planning framework as it will provide high quality pedestrian amenity, connection to the rest of the precinct and opportunities to boost the area’s highly-valued arts and creative culture,” she said after the meeting.

“It is anticipated that locals and the wider community will benefit from much-needed public green spaces and a range of facilities such as a hotel and a supermarket.

“The City of Vincent has worked collaboratively with both APPL Group and its applicant Rowe Group to achieve this positive outcome.

“We’re looking forward to seeing this development progress as it will bring many more visitors to the popular district.”

The Pickle District is an arts hub of small businesses that includes coffee shop and arts space Cleaver Street Co, gallery STALA Contemporary, Linton & Kay gallery, and Holmes à Court Gallery run by Janet Holmes a Court.

In November 2022, the JDAP approved a five-storey development in the Pickle District, about 60 metres west of the Sydney Charles Quarter project site.

Saracen Properties' $25.5 million five-storey development will include a Bunnings store, child care premises, 10 non-residential tenancies and 259 car parking bays.

According to the development application, a building permit for Saracen's approved application has not been lodged with the city.