Council makes decision on seven-storey apartment in Lyons St

The City of Ballarat has finally made a decision on a controversial proposal to build a multi-storey apartment in Ballarat’s CBD.

Ballarat Heritage Watch spokesmen Stuart Kelly said the building should not exceed 13.5 metres.

Ballarat’s CBD will be home to a controversial seven-storey apartment building after council gave it the tick of approval on Wednedsay night.

The Lyon Street development, at the old Loreto site in the Sturt Street heritage precinct, will include 59 apartments, three town houses and a cafe with a liquor license.

The development will also be powered by green sourced electricity.

Joseph Van Dyke from Lyons Development Partnership, behind the project, said he had worked had to meet the community’s needs.

“Our goal has always been to deliver an improved design,” he said.

“The proposal pushes the larger building further away from Lyons Street.

“The building will create minimal impact to the skyline.”

Despite all councillors agreeing to the proposal, it was met with fierce backlash from the community because of its height and impact on nearby buildings.

Ballarat Heritage Watch spokesperson Stuart Kelly said the building should not exceed 13.5m and the apartment would be “visually intrusive”.

“Demolishing 80 per cent of the music hall (where the apartment will be built) is pure facadism,” Mr Kelly said.

Heritage advocate Dr Anne Beggs-Sunter agreed the building’s height was inappropriate.

“At a proposed 10m above recommended height limit in the Sturt St heritage precinct, it should be reduced to five stories,” she said.

Neighbouring resident Peter Upton said the site was monstrous.

“The proposal put forward is an over development of the site,” he said.

“Going three stories over the recommendation is a bit over the top.”

The City of Ballarat ticked off a controversial multi-storey development in Ballarat’s CBD.

The proposal was supported by all nine councillors.

Cr Ben Taylor said council had been talking about the development for five years.

“At the moment we’re struggling to provide diversity in our infill development in the CBD,” he said.

“This addresses a need for infill, and people living in the CBD are now a stone’s throw away from all the amenities they need.

“If you stood at civic hall, it would be difficult to even see this building.”

Cr Peter Eddy also said it would be a great opportunity.

“This is a unique site and it’s a unique opportunity to do something very good,” he said.

“It will have a very minimal impact of the heritage impacts of the neighbourhood.

“It meets all the sustainable benchmarks and is something that is ahead of the game.”

Cr Belinda Coates said the overall benefits outweighed the loss.

“In regards to the environmental sustainability of the site, the developers have gone over and above of what they have actually been required to do which is unheard of,” she said.

“We won’t be able to meet our carbon neutrality targets if we don’t have thoughtful developers getting on board.”

While Cr Sam McIntosh said she felt for the residents who objected.

“I support this project, but we can’t go as high as we want to go,” she said.

“It doesn’t mean having facadism in place of heritage, we need to keep listening to the community as often as we can.”