By Emma Young
A prominent Perth architectural firm has lodged an application to build an eight-storey apartment block 200 metres from Leederville’s most popular venues.
On behalf of owner Hanrise, Hillam Architects has lodged the application for 194-200 Carr Place in Leederville, a hop and a skip from Sayers Cafe, The Garden and Oxford Street haunts such as Greens and Co.
An artist's impression of the proposed development. Credit: Hillam Architects
They have called it a “precinct-defining project” for an area that has weathered recent economic doldrums better than the nearest comparable strips, Subiaco’s Rokeby Road and Mount Lawley’s Beaufort Street.
The City of Vincent’s population is expected to grow about 65 per cent by 2050, with state planning strategies earmarking the inner-ring suburb as a secondary ‘activity centre’ suitable for intensive residential development.
The council is drafting a more specific rezoning plan to enable such growth in Leederville but for the moment development of this scale is still unusual there – the site is bounded by one, two and three-storey homes.
This proposal is to amalgamate four lots into one 2000-square-metre site. Current zoning is four storeys, but council officers have deemed the eight-storey proposal acceptable, as planning under way for the spot is likely to review permissible heights.
The building will comprise 52 apartments, 34 bicycle parking bays, a public pocket park on the ground floor including $170,000 worth of public art, a residents' garden on the fifth floor and a rooftop pool.
Neighbours have not generally welcomed the proposal, with 18 of 25 total submissions to council voicing objections over perceptions of height, bulk, setbacks, imposing boundary walls, a lack of landscaping, potential local traffic impacts and the presence of ground floor homes when local planning controls only permit commercial tenancies on the ground floor in that location.
The developer sought to address some of this through measures such as reducing the tower element adjacent to Carr Place from seven to five storeys, and increasing the street setback from zero to 2 metres.
But the developer decreased the number of small trees being provided from 57 to 19 and “on-structure landscaping” space also substantially decreased. It also proposed to remove two mature trees, one with a 10-metre canopy, without providing an arboriculture report.
City officers nevertheless found the proposal acceptable, saying the deep soil areas were concentrated within the pocket park and along the front of the development to contribute towards the streetscape.
Site map showing the proposed pocket park. Credit: Hillam Architects
The city recommended the planning panel impose a condition requiring a revised landscaping plan to provide some additional tree planting areas.
City of Vincent officers have recommended the Metro West joint development assessment panel approve the application, noting how close the site was to high-frequency bus routes and train stations.
Officers said the development would increase residential population and the ground floor apartments were designed with the ability to be converted into non-residential uses in the future should this suit market demands, which would further contribute towards local employment opportunities.
The Oxford Street strip has not been immune to Perth's economic struggles in recent years, according to the latest research from Ray White.
The strip grew from a zero retail vacancy in 2017 to a 6 per cent vacancy in 2019, though this increase represented just three vacant shopfronts, with Oxford Street Books and a clothing store among the closures.
Oxford Street, however, has fared better than both Rokeby Road and Beaufort Street and food continues to dominate, with cafes, restaurants and specialty food retailing comprising more than 56 per cent of tenancies.
“The addition of more casual and take away options also highlights the differing price point levels also on offer catering for a wide dining market,” the market research noted.
“This quality mix has served Leederville well over this survey period with the absence of leasing and sales evidence highlighting the attractiveness and held market it is.”
The JDAP will consider the development proposal on March 13.