Property developer’s plans for new Bakery Hill precinct

Dozens of flats and offices in high rise buildings would be built in inner city Ballarat, if a proposal is approved. See the pictures and have your say.

A Rendition of the proposed development on Humffray St, Bakery Hill. Photo: City of Ballarat documents

Plans have been lodged with the City of Ballarat for a large residential and commercial development meant to be “one of the first” of its size for the inner city suburb of Bakery Hill.

Hygge Property has submitted a development application to the council for a “precinct” at 102 to 108 Humffray St South, which would contain a 74-flat residential building, a separate office building, and a public walkway or “plaza” between them.

Both buildings would be eight storeys and have concrete facades, one to be primarily coloured red and the other white and grey.

Additionally, the residential building could provide tenancy for a cafe while the plaza would boast gardens, seating, and bookable barbecues.

Hygge Property has submitted a development application for its development proposal. Photo: City of Ballarat documents

“While there are locations in Ballarat which are more architecturally and chronologically homogenous, the 102-108 Humffray Street site is located in an area that has undergone substantial change over past decades,” documents submitted to the council said.

“The area is now at the beginning of a renewal process that will see the consolidation of at-grade carparks and big box stores into a more sophisticated urban realm, more appropriate to its proximity to Ballarat city centre.

“The challenge at this site is how to respond architecturally to the important place the site occupies as one of the first of the higher density developments that will make up this renewal process.”

They said care should be taken with regard to the scale of the development and the creation of a “single unarticulated object”.

A drawing of the plans. Photo: City of Ballarat documents

The proposed development site is more than 4200 sqm and currently houses timber merchant Robert Sim Building Supplies.

The name Robert Sim has connotations with Ballarat dating back to the mid-1800s, and the Phelps family has owned the eponymous business since 1972.

Managing director Ian Phelps said that his family was yet to decide whether it would move, sell, or simply shut down the business.

“We’ve always had developers looking at our site over the years that dad owned it and the family owned it, but we just haven’t been interested until this stage,” he said.

“I’ve been here 43 years – I turn 68 this year … I’ve got no children to take it on or anything like that, so time’s right.”

The heritage brick chimney visible along Porter St will remain in place.