Croydon Central: Haben Group pitches 12-storey redevelopment of shopping centre

It’s the mega development that could change the look of a Melbourne suburb forever — and its fate is set to be determined by VCAT.

A VCAT showdown is looming over a proposed shopping centre redevelopment in Melbourne’s outer east, with its owners wanting to create a complex that would be up to triple the suburb’s height limit.

Maroondah Council rejected the amended second stage of redevelopment plans by Croydon Central shopping centre owners Haben Group earlier this year.

It has led the Sydney-based firm to appeal the decision at VCAT, with a four-day hearing set to begin on November 7.

Haben’s plans, tipped to cost more than $100m, included 243 apartments across separate towers, one of which would reach 12 storeys, built in front of the existing shopping centre.

The council’s guidelines for the site as per its structure plan is for buildings to be no more than four storeys.

Haben also wants to include room for a new supermarket, more shops, a gym and childcare centre in the works, which would be in its existing carpark area facing Wicklow Ave.

It plans to create underground parking below the new buildings, and boost its total supply of parking spaces by 561 spots across the entire site.

Croydon Conservation Society president Liz Sanzaro, who has lived in Croydon for nearly 50 years, said the proposal was “a complete overdevelopment for the area”.

She was concerned the proposed project would see lots of native vegetation removed and create an atmosphere similar to an inner city suburb.

“It’s totally out of character … and I think even people who have moved to the area for the tree ambience would be very distressed to see something that could look potentially like Richmond or Glenferrie,” she said.

But Nathan Hill, operator of The Croydon Project Facebook page, said he supported the proposal as he felt it brought “scale and forethought to a tired precinct”, and would compliment the planned skyrail and rebuild of Croydon railway station.

“This would bring Croydon into 2022 and not leave it in 1972,” he said.

“People need to live somewhere, and I challenge the mindset that Croydon doesn’t have to evolve.”

In a statement on its website, the council said it did not support Haben’s plans as it would “significantly impact traffic and parking, vegetation, pedestrian access and the public realm, among other matters.”

The council was also concerned Haben was “seeking approval of substantially different plans … using a process that bars community consultation and genuine consideration of their and council’s feedback”.

A Haben Group spokesperson said the group was not required to do public consultation, but would be doing so voluntarily and would launch a public display within the centre from May 18.

“The purpose of these consultations is to capture public feedback, and promote transparency, so that we get the best possible outcome in this early stage of the redevelopment process,” the spokesman said.

Haben completed the first stage of Croydon Central’s redevelopment two years ago, which included moving its ALDI supermarket inside the mall, and replacing it with a childcare centre and gym.

Under the second stage plans, the childcare centre and gym would have to be altered or rebuilt.

Twenty double-storey townhouses were also built next to the centre, and a new outdoor dining precinct, The Grove, was also created, but has suffered from poor patronage.