Green light for Fiveight’s $35m Freo hotel

Andrew Forrest-led Fiveight has received approval for its Spicers site project in Fremantle after a development assessment panel's three-hour meeting.

The Metro Inner-South Joint Development Panel has approved, by four votes to one, the proposal to redevelop the former Spicers building site on 10 Henderson Street today.

Fiveight’s $35 million application proposes to build a six-storey hotel comprising 117 rooms, a ground floor lobby, a restaurant and small bar on the 2,834 square metre site.

The development application was prepared by Urbis with designs by Smart Design Studio.

After the meeting, Fiveight head John Meredith said this was a positive outcome for Fremantle, with the design endorsed by the city's design advisory committee and the result of a collaboration with the City of Fremantle.

“Fiveight welcomes the decision of the JDAP, which has conditionally approved the development application for a premium lifestyle hotel on the site of the former Spicers Building in the heart of Fremantle," he said.

"As part of the approval process, we prepared a detailed Heritage Impact Statement that was supported by the Heritage Council of Western Australia (subject to conditions) and endorsed by the City of Fremantle Heritage Team. 

“The approved proposal will transform the well-known site into a destination hotel designed to sit comfortably alongside Fremantle’s historic architecture and existing public spaces.

"It will deliver Fremantle residents and visitors a landmark building that brings people together and offers new opportunities for culture, commerce and the arts to flourish."

Mr Meredith said construction would start next year.

“This project is a major private investment into Fremantle … it will attract new people in the area,” he said at the meeting.

“As the developer of the project, we are confident the proposed project would be an asset for the community.”

The City of Fremantle council recommended the JDAP defer deciding on the proposal, instead requesting the applicant modify the design.

The council was opposed to the proposed height, which exceeded the 14 metres limit for Henderson Street in the city’s local planning scheme.

Panel member and city councillor Andrew Sullivan pushed for an outright refusal instead of a deferral at the meeting.

However, his plea only gained the support of his fellow councillor Bryn Jones on the panel.

"I actually think this is quite a small change we’re asking for ... We’re just asking for the removal of one storey at the front," Mr Jones said.

Despite pushing for a refusal, Cr Sullivan decided to support the project and voted to approve it on condition a parking management plan be prepared to investigate long-term parking options.

The Spicers site is surrounded by heritage-listed places, including Warders Cottages on Henderson Street, the Fremantle markets building, the former police station and courthouse, and the former Freemans Hotel on South Terrace.

The heritage façade treatments for the proposed hotel were also deemed not appropriate to the surroundings by councillors, who requested a fine grained façade to complement the adjoining Warders Cottage.

According to the city’s responsible authority report, a development on the Spicer Street site would act as a bridge between the world heritage listed Convict Establishment and the new Walyalup Koort precinct.

The Fremantle Society president John Dowson said the proposed hotel would sully the historic site.

“We want him (Forrest) to have a good legacy here … a more sympathetic, high quality proposal instead of the aggressive landmark that exceeds the planning scheme,” he said.

“We don’t want landmarks of six storeys towering over a historic centre.”

However, JDAP acting specialist member John Syme said the variations in height and heritage façade would not be detrimental to the area.

“Because of the nature of the design, it would in fact vastly improve the amenity,” he said.

“(There’s) good reason to approve the building … the quality allows us to be very confident that what would be in place will actually be a significant advancement to the city at times when it’s actually difficult to get good projects off the ground … I think this is one of those.”

Fiveight acquired the site, which currently contains a public car park, from Sirona Urban in 2018.

The Spicers stationary company building on the site was demolished in the 1970s.