Celsius Property Group has again scaled down its North Perth apartment project following community opposition to its earlier designs.
Celsius Property Group has overhauled its plan to build apartments in North Perth, following community backlash to its initial proposals.
The developer has lodged new plans for the Fitzgerald Street development, scaling back the maximum height of the development from 13 to nine storeys and the plot ratio by 24 per cent.
The end value of the revised development is expected to be $110 million.
An earlier iteration of the design went up to 16 storeys and consisted of one tower, but Celsius lodged a proposal comprising two buildings with 11 and 13 storeys late last year.
The developer has gone back to the drawing board on the application once more, following the Joint Development Assessment Panel’s unanimous refusal of the project in December.
The new design comprises one building, which steps down from nine levels on the corner of Alma Road and Fitzgerald Street, six levels of the corner of Ragland Road and Fitzgerald Street, and three levels on its western side.
The 104-dwelling development is set to contain one, two, three and four bedroom apartments, 1,500 square metres of retail, food and beverage, and 1,000sqm of office space.
Celsius removed the supermarket component from its plans, in a 2,212 square metre reduction of commercial space.
Instead of a supermarket, the building is set to contain a wine bar, bakery, sushi bar and café, and has additional space for a small food market.
The nearby North Perth Plaza, which contains a Coles supermarket, is overdue for an upgrade.
While there are no concrete plans to overhaul the retail district, Celsius managing director Richard Pappas said he was fully supportive of an upgrade to the plaza.
“We are fully supportive of the redevelopment of the North Perth plaza and very hopeful that any redevelopment incorporates a new modern Coles supermarket,” he told Business News.
“We envisage Alma Road becoming the new heart of the town centre of North Perth with a north orientated alfresco dining connected to a future redeveloped shopping centre.”
“At the heart of our new proposal is an unwavering commitment to create a vibrant ground floor experience accessible to the entire community. Central to this vision are inviting hospitality venues that will serve as anchors.”
After the development was refused at JDAP, Celsius had recourse to appeal the decision to the State Administrative Tribunal, but decided against that path.
“We are not about wasting resources and money fighting at SAT,” Mr Pappas said.
“We have accepted the JDAP decision [and] that it was an overreach.
“We have listened to the community and key stakeholder feedback and the reimagined plans result in a significant reduction in building height and bulk and scale.”
The initial proposal (left) and the new iteration.
Mr Pappas added that the state was “in the midst of a housing crisis”.
“We need supply and therefore our priority is getting through planning with a proposal that’s appropriate for the inner-city location and capable of being built in the current environment is important to us.
“We don’t want to have something approved that is not feasible to build.”
The proposal is open for public comment with the City of Vincent until September 28, and is expected to progress to JDAP later this year.
Space Collective Architects designed the development.
