$38m townhouse precinct plans expand ahead of build
Construction is just weeks from starting om the $38 million 'mass residential' project with 57 townhouses, including at least five four-bedroom homes, 24 apartments, seven commercial tenancy options and on-site car parking already approved.
Locus Development Group director Stuart Sinclair this week told PerthNow it was contemplating adding a further 10 townhouses — six two-bedroom and four three-bedroom options — because of strong off-the-plan take-up.
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He said with 56 of the 57 townhouses already sold, the group was exploring if the northern end of the site could be subdivided to accommodate 10 more homes facing Amherst Street.
'The two-bedroom town homes have been really well received by the market,' Mr Sinclair said.
'We are finding a lot of buyers coming from the local area, people who live in Fremantle in apartments and the downside for them is traffic, pubs, clubs and unruly behaviour.
'People are saying they love Freo but they want to be just on the outside away from all that so we have the perfect location in that sense.'
The Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel gave the nod to Lotus' plans for a mass residential development on Amherst and Stack streets in March 2024 after the concept had been previously knocked back twice.
Applications from Locus Development Group failed to make it past the JDAP in November 2022 and June 2023.
Reasons included that the development did not include 'adequate landscaping, deep planting and open space' and a lack of consistency with the Knutsford East Local Structure Plan.
If approval is granted, Mr Sinclair expects the additional homes could hit the market in August or September this year.
The initial construction phase will involve building 23 townhouses and is set to begin in the next eight weeks.
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