New six-level retirement, childcare, medical plan for former Renzo’s site, The Gap

A vandalised inner-west property so famous it is listed on “urban explorer’’ social media pages could finally be redeveloped — more than 65 years after a pioneering property tycoon bought the sprawling site. SEE THE PLANS

A vandalised inner-west property so famous it is listed on “urban explorer’’ social media pages could finally be redeveloped — more than 65 years after a pioneering property tycoon bought the sprawling site.

Renzo Zanuttini bought the massive 5000 sqm-plus block on busy Waterworks Rd in The Gap in 1958.

It has been vacant and badly rundown since 2017 when a previous luxury unit development, Renzo’s Place, was approved by Council. That approval runs out in November next year.

The project never went ahead and since then the buildings have been a magnet for vandals and thrill seekers, including high school students from as far away as Indooroopilly.

New plans were recently submitted to Council by K2M Investments No. 2 Pty Ltd for three buildings with a total of 31 units.

Building one would include a health care service and childcare centre, building two would have more health care services and five units, while building would be a retirement facility with 26 units.

Renzo Zanuttini in his garden in 2009. New plans have been lodged for the site. Picture: Nathan Richter

The same property these days. It has been vandalised and vacant for years.

Mr Zanuttini was a local identity known for the immaculate garden he nurtured on the land next to a BP service station and The Gap Handyman Centre, which moved its hardware section to Samford earlier this year after its rent was raised.

He went on to build the Sunshine Coast’s first highrise, Maroochy Sands.

Renzo’s Place was to have been the most luxurious residential project in The Gap, with 67 two and three-bed units priced from $470,000.

Some of the graffiti is impressive, including this mural facing the The Gap Handyman Centre site.

The property viewed from a local park and Barkala St.

Residents would have enjoyed a rooftop podium with wet-edge pool, games room, teppanyaki BBQs, spa, open-air covered cinema and a ground level with a cafe, Italian restaurant, medical specialist and boutique cinema.

For unknown reasons it never went ahead, despite advanced work on services and a marketing campaign which kicked off in 2017.

Adams+Sparkes Town Planning said in the development application (DA) for the new proposal that the revised design had fewer units and was broken up into three structures instead of one large building.

Artist's impression of building three, as seen from the north.

Render of how Renzo's Place would have looked.

Rooftop area of the former Renzo's Place project.

“The building form achieves a high-quality architecture and urban design through appropriate modulation and articulation, a contemporary and visually attractive design, geometric elements, different wall cladding and screening elements,’’ they wrote.

“The proposed development represents a high-quality mixed-use development that is cognisant of the role and function of the centre and could serve as a catalyst for appropriate redevelopment of the remainder of the District Centre Zone.’’

They said the 164 car spaces exceeded Council requirements.

An assessment found pollutant concentrations and odours from the service station and the handyman centre’s bulk landscaping operations would not affect any of the three buildings.

But in an information request on September 29, Council officers raised 50 concerns and requests for more detail.

The four-lot site, next to the The Gap Handyman Centre site and a BP service station.

A rundown building on the site.

Graffiti on a wall next to an empty lot.

They said the proposed six levels on the western side of the site was “well above the acceptable limit’’ in the neighbourhood plan.

The design lacked “activation’’ (a human-scale street presence) to the Waterworks Rd frontage because two levels of carparking were planned for the front building.

The officers also cited concerns about the provision of ambulance access and lifts suitable for elderly residents, as well as concerns about evacuation of children in the childcare centre.

Setbacks along Barkala St, at the rear of the site, were not sufficient, there was not enough space for large trees and they had concerns about air emissions from the basement car park and back-up generators.

Council also queried whether the proposed vehicle access was legal.

They suggested many residents and other users could try to turn right (east) into Waterworks Rd, where they would have to wait for breaks in the often heavy traffic to cross two oncoming lanes of cars.

More details on council’s online DA portal developmenti. Search for application A006345436