Crown’s plan to build new mega-tower angers residents

A FOURTH luxury five-star hotel — standing taller than the Eureka Tower — could be on the cards for Crown casino. But not everybody is happy about it.

The glass bridge over Queensberry St would connect Crown to the new developement.

A FOURTH luxury five-star hotel — standing taller than the Eureka Tower — could be on the cards for Crown casino.

The Herald Sun can reveal the casino operator is in talks with developer Schiavello Group to run a 400-room hotel inside what would be Australia’s second-tallest building and would be connected to the casino by a translucent glass bridge.

Opponents say the new connection over Queensbridge St would set a damaging precedent, hinder privacy, block views and even potentially lower property values.

A Crown spokesman would only say the company supported the proposed tower and the footbridge, saying it would be an asset to tourism in Victoria.

In a strong sign that Crown wants the ­casino to expand, the company revealed its hotel rooms had an occupancy rate of more than 90 per cent year round.

The 84-level Queensbridge Tower would sit 8m above Eureka and contain 626 apartments, 1165 car parks and a sky lounge.

The proposed Queensbridge Tower would stand 84 levels.

Melbourne City councillor Stephen Mayne, deputy chair of the planning committee, said the council did not want more bridges being built on top of streets.

“Melbourne’s amenity is impacted if you start blocking views,” he said.

“With the aero bridge proposal linking this enormous hotel and apartment tower proposal to Crown, it becomes a de facto expansion of Melbourne’s casino precinct which is already one of the 20 largest buildings complexes in the world.”

State Planning Minister Matthew Guy said his department was considering the permit application and would take feedback from the council.

“It’s an interesting design, it looks quite striking,” he said.

Mr Guy warned councillors not to jump the gun and “bag” the casino before they’d made a decision on the project”.

Residents at Freshwater Place, whose views could be obscured, are worried a precedent will be set for future mega-buildings. “We’ve got real concern about the height of the bridge, something this big ­deserves a lot of public debate,” local Peter Renner said.