First look at controversial The Gardens development

MICHAEL Makrylos and his wife Gina Panagopoulos took a “calculated risk” when they paid about $3 million for community purpose land.

Concept designs for the controversial Elysium project at The Gardens.

INSIDE a document on Michael Makrylos’ table is what he claims is the “nod and wink” deal that prompted him to buy land in The Gardens.

It is not details of a conversation from politicians past or present, as has been alleged by anti-development activists.

It is the Darwin Planning Scheme and, with the later 2012 Greater Darwin Plan, forms his development “bible”.

Mr Makrylos and his wife Gina Panagopoulos, an engineer turned company director, talk of the “calculated risk” involved in paying about $3 million for lot 7280 on Blake St in the hope it would be rezoned from community purpose to high density residential.

Mr Makrylos says on “each page you turn over” of his bible are written the principles – chiefly housing choice and supply of sufficient land – to lead a developer to believe such land would eventually be rezoned to allow for what he said would be affordable housing.

Another angle of the Elysium project concept design

He said the Greater Darwin Plan, released under the Paul Henderson Labor Government, reaffirmed his decision when it promoted the land in The Gardens as an “activity centre” and prime for residential densification.

The Makryloses were successful last week when, against vocal opposition, Planning Minister Dave Tollner signed off on the rezone, allowing the Makrylos Group to push ahead with plans to build Elysium.

The towers of Elysium will rise seven storeys, not the Makryloses desired nine, and have 118 apartments, 20 per cent fewer than the developers wanted. It will hold a cafe and there are plans for a boulevard of trees along both sides of Gardens Hill Cres and Blake St.

Anti-Gardens development campaigners, led by Catherine McAlpine, have fought long and hard against the rezone, but Ms Panagopoulos said minds would change once the development was finished.

“When this development is completed we strongly believe it will be embraced by Gardens residents – even Catherine will come visit us at the coffee shop,” she said.

“Through this development we want to provide the platform for rejuvenation of the Gardens suburb.”

The Makryloses take issue with rhetoric suggesting the land was government owned – Ms Panagopoulos notes it has been privately owned, and sat vacant, for four decades.

“The site was originally designated for residential development ... the site was sold to our company as it was surplus to the requirements of the television station,” she said. “It is only logical that the site is zoned back to its intended use.”