Apartments, shops and medical centre planned at Heathmont’s burnt out Original Joe’s pizza restaurant
It’s been left abandoned for more than two years — and now the owners of a burnt-out Heathmont pizza shop want to replace it with one of the suburb’s first apartment complexes.
Outer East
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A burnt-out pizza restaurant abandoned for more than two years in the heart of Heathmont could be transformed into an apartment complex.
But some people fear the proposed $7.5 million, four-storey development could be a blight on the suburb’s distinctive village character.
Maroondah Council has received an application to redevelop 165, 165A and 167 Canterbury Rd, the former home of Original Joe’s restaurant and its Si Bella function room.
The application was submitted in January but only recently went on public display after the council requested more information.
Site owners Pat and Maria Lamanna want to build a retail shop, restaurant and medical centre on the ground level and 26 apartments on three floors above.
If approved, it would be one of the first apartment complexes to be built in Heathmont.
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The abandoned site has drawn the ire of residents and traders since Original Joe’s was destroyed in a fire in June 2017.
It has slowly deteriorated and has broken windows, hanging lights and rubbish sprawled throughout the site, and had allegedly been used by squatters.
Town planner Jay Hollerich, who is representing the Lamannas, said the proposed building responded appropriately to the site’s surroundings and height limit,
“There’s obviously a balance between revitalising these areas and doing it the right way,” he said.
“We think it’s appropriate for the design and overlay that applies from the site, and it’s a good response to the height limit outlined by the controls.”
Members of the Meanwhile In Heathmont Facebook page had mixed reactions to the plans.
Lauren Custace feared the application would “open the floodgates” for similar developments in Heathmont if approved, while Ali Cat said “there goes our ‘village’”.
But Kenn Moulynox and Kate Desmond welcomed the plans with Ms Desmond saying it would be “better than looking at this dump everyday”.
Maroondah Mayor Rob Steane said the council had not received any complaints about the site since it burnt down.
He said there had been no submissions to the application so far and it complied with the four-storey height limit in Heathmont’s activity centre.
The application will be on display until October 14.
Mr Lamanna was contacted through his wife for comment.