Inner city site with $150m tower proposal sells
Melbourne City Council greenlit the project that developer Claric Ninety-Nine proposed to replace existing buildings at 13-33 Hartley St in 2022.
Plans for the 6714sq m address near the Westgate Freeway included 400 apartments, 4580sq of retail and office space, basement parking for 173 cars and 492 bikes, a pool and library, across 50 levels.
Melbourne's biggest eyesore listed for sale by China's Wang Hua
It was slated to stand at 164m tall and also have a public park and new road built.
Commercial real estate Allard Shelton director Joseph Walton declined to comment on the sold price although the property was listed with circa-$20m price hopes.
Mr Walton said that the Fishermans Bend precinct lot had attracted strong interest, mostly from developers and a couple of potential owner-occupiers.
'We had buyers locally, interstate and internationally all look at the site,' Mr Walton said.
Out of multiple offers submitted for the listing, a local developer ended up being the successful buyer.
Mr Walton said the purchaser planned to 'spend some time repositioning the project'.
In 2022, a Melbourne City Council's officers' report stated that the proposed 50-storey tower
was 'not considered to introduce unreasonable amenity impacts to the public realm or adjoining sites'.
'The proposed materials and design of the development are generally supported based on best-practice urban-design principles, subject to a facade strategy to further refine the design,' the report read.
'The proposal includes the provision of a large portion of the site to be set aside for a public park and a new road, responding appropriately to the future vision of Fishermans Bend.'
The 480ha Fishermans Bend urban renewal project, stretching across the City of Melbourne and City of Port Phillip, is set to become home to approximately 80,000 residents by 2055.
In 2012, the Victorian government rezoned part of the area from urban industrial land to mixed use land.
Historically, the precinct was home to aircraft, aerospace engineering and car design and manufacturing companies.
Latest state government plans for Fishermans Bend include parks, schools, roads and community facilities along with the aim of providing employment for up to 80,000 people within the next three decades.
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