272-282 Queen Street, Melbourne

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Little Lonsdale Street wouldn't immediately be considered Melbourne's most glamorous thoroughfare, but for the time being at least the street which spans the length of the CBD is attracting more than its fair share of high-end development and construction value.

Billions of dollars in fact, as seven major projects at various stages of construction are gradually changing the feel and composition of Little Lonsdale Street. The majority of these builds gained approval under previous planning regulations, turning Little Lonsdale Street into somewhat of a showcase of previous planning attitudes. 

Nonetheless construction marches on, with two vastly different projects currently bookending Little Lonsdale Street, and both under the guidance of Probuild.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image22_12.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Progress across Australian Unity and West Side Place"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="234" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image22_12.jpg?itok=FbLDfwor" title="Progress across Australian Unity and West Side Place" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Progress across Australian Unity and West Side Place</figcaption></figure>Intersecting Spring Street and Little Lonsdale, ISPT and Probuild are delivering 271 Spring Street, a $150 million mixed-use tower on the edge of the CBD. The 16-storey building has been designed by John Wardle Architects and will become the new headquarters for Australian Unity, which has agreed to a 15-year term over the entire 15,600sqm build. 

Conversely Probuild are also moving on the first stage of West Side Place at the opposite end of the city. In time the builder will deliver the first stage of the project, involving thousands of apartments and a Ritz-Carlton hotel.

At 81 and 64 levels, both towers will comfortably surpass the 200m mark, with the first phase of West Side Place scheduled for completion in 2022.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image25_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Union Tower and 399 Little Lonsdale in view, along with the rear of 380 Lonsdale"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image25_10.jpg?itok=0SfWGDLF" title="Union Tower and 399 Little Lonsdale in view, along with the rear of 380 Lonsdale" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Union Tower and 399 Little Lonsdale in view, along with the rear of 380 Lonsdale</figcaption></figure>A trio of builds are most definitely changing the feel of Little Lonsdale Street west of Elizabeth Street.

Union Tower and 399 Little Lonsdale Street deliver sheer vertical facades from street level spanning the best part of 40 levels, whilst demolition is progressing rapidly on <a href="/buildings/380-melbourne-380-lonsdale-street-melbourne">380 Lonsdale Street</a>. The rear of Brady Group's massive tower will stretch the best part of 220 metres above Little Lonsdale Street whilst the adjoining Timothy Lane will be extended to provide a typical Melbourne laneway outcome.

Close to 1,000 apartments and hundreds of new hotel suites are being constructed across this tightly spaced trio. Crema Constructions is accounting for 399 Little Lonsdale, Watpac is handling the $47 million build that is Union Tower whilst Brady Group will handle 380 Lonsdale internally via Brady Constructions.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image29_12.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Union Tower and the Little Lonsdale Street frontage for Brady's 380 Lonsdale"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="431" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image29_12.jpg?itok=QO4jd7e0" title="Union Tower and the Little Lonsdale Street frontage for Brady's 380 Lonsdale" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Union Tower and the Little Lonsdale Street frontage for Brady's 380 Lonsdale</figcaption></figure>As <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/wesley-place-begins-construction-as-com-planners-endorse-stage-two-of-the-project">outlined last week</a>, Wesley Place has begun construction with the initial tower and future commercial building both fronting Little Lonsdale Street. A sizeable landscaped courtyard will also spill onto Little Lonsdale Street, providing further permeability to Lonsdale Street and surrounding areas.

Flying under the radar and adjoining Wesley Place is Brady Group's commencement of 109-111 Little Lonsdale Street. A Peddle Thorp-designed tower will soon rise onsite, with the likelihood that it will become the CBD's second Brady Hotel outlet.

The pocket-sized tower will abut Regency Towers and is expected to rise 21 levels.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_2260.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="109-111 Little Lonsdale Street will become reality"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="365" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_2260.jpg?itok=L1w4v7xX" title="109-111 Little Lonsdale Street will become reality" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>109-111 Little Lonsdale Street will become reality</figcaption></figure>Whilst the current crop of projects settling upon Little Lonsdale Street number seven, a similar number of projects are in the pipeline.

<a href="/buildings/aspire-melbourne-301-king-st-melbourne">299 King Street</a>, a future tower at Upper West Side and <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">Victoria University's vertical campus</a> will all have frontage to Little Lonsdale Street, with VU Tower likely to reach construction first. The much hyped <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/crystal-gardens-276-russell-street-melbourne">Crystal Gardens</a> tower though remains somewhat of an enigma, whilst Brady Group continues to plot future towers along Little Lonsdale Street.

272-282 Queen Street and 278 Little Lonsdale Street are on the developer's books, with the latter gaining approval via VCAT for a 32 level tower spanning 105 metres earlier this year.

On its curent construction trajectory awathes of Little Lonsdale Street will be barely recognisable in a short few years time.
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silvermb

Little Lonsdale big on construction

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Two almost forgotten planning applications for substantial skyscrapers have re-emerged over the last month, prompting Urban.com.au to once again highlight the very healthy number of 200 metre plus skyscrapers in the pipeline for Melbourne. 

Most recently, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">57-63 Exhibition Street</a> which was first submitted during August 2014, is still active with <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/salta-properties">Salta Properties</a> backing the <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart-designed</a> skyscraper which would nudge 204m if approved. City of <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">Melbourne</a> have brought the project back into the spotlight via their Future Melbourne Committee, and have provided in principal support for the project subject to a number of conditions.

One condition being that the Planning Minister reduce the tower's height to 182m. In its current form at 204m, 57-63 Exhibition Street is valued at $255 million and includes 185 hotel suites and 119 apartments within the slim tower.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image30_11.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impression of 57-63 Exhibition Street. Planing image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="272" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image30_11.jpg?itok=dt-oG7Ge" title="Artist's impression of 57-63 Exhibition Street. Planing image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impression of 57-63 Exhibition Street. Planing image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>Also recently before the Future Melbourne Committee was <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">158-164 City Road, Southbank</a> whose planning history spans back to 2010. Approval at 43 levels was granted along the way, although proponent <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/eastern-international-property-development">Eastern International Property Development</a> is still pursuing a taller 69 level, 216m scheme that would yield 556 dwellings, 96 serviced apartments, offices and a supermarket.

The Future Melbourne Committee indicated a lack of support for the higher scheme earlier this month.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image31_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impression of 158 City Road. Planing image: Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="379" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image31_4.jpg?itok=mdGETMiu" title="Artist's impression of 158 City Road. Planing image: Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impression of 158 City Road. Planing image: Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>With light shed upon the two applications above, and with a number of other potential entrants having their height reduced below the 200m mark, an updated list of towers at 200m plus or above across inner Melbourne is provided below.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:580px;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>
			Name/Address
			</td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">
			Height
			</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">
			Status
			</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank">1 Queensbridge Street, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">323</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/51-65-clarke-street-southbank">51-65 Clarke Street, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">228</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/elysium-54-clarke-street-southbank">54 Clarke Street, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">244</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">70 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">319</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">158 City Road, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">216</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/38-freshwater-place-southbank">38 Freshwater Place, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">273</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning </td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/melbourne-square-93-119-kavanagh-street-southbank">93-119 Kavanagh Street, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">226 </td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/the-queensbridge-building-southbank-90-queensbridge-street-southbank">88 Queensbridge Street, Southbank</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">208</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/swanston-central-168-victoria-street-carlton">168 Victoria Street, Carlton</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">237</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/uno-melbourne-117-abeckett-street-melbourne">111-125 A'beckett Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">210</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/sapphire-by-the-gardens-63-la-trobe-street-melbourne-vic-3000">308 Exhibition Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">254</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">224 La Trobe Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">267</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">452 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">241</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">450 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne </a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">218</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/380-melbourne-380-lonsdale-street-melbourne">380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">218</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">383 La Trobe Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">242</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/queens-place-157-a-beckett-street-and-370-queen-street-melbourne">350 Queen Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">246 </td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">250 Spencer Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">270</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aspire-melbourne-301-king-st-melbourne">295-309 King Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">208</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/premier-tower-134-160-spencer-street-melbourne">134 Spencer Street, Melbourne</a> </td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">249</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/272-282-queen-street-melbourne">272-282 Queen Street, Melbourne </a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">207</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">183-189 A'beckett Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">205</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/150-queen-street-melbourne">150 Queen Street, Melbourne </a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">226</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Delayed</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/640-bourke-street-melbourne-640-bourke-street-melbourne-vic-3000">640 Bourke Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">273</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">57-63 Exhibition Street, Melbourne</a></td>
			<td style="width: 94px;">204</td>
			<td style="width: 93px;">Planning</td>
		</tr>
</tbody></table>
Although there's some conjecture over a number of projects (owing to contradictory or ambiguous information) such as <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/293-297-city-road-southbank-vic-3006">295 City Road</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/collins-house-melbourne-460-466-collins-street-melbourne">466 Collins Street</a> that have been left off the list, the number of projects confirmed and included above is still immense.

With a quarter of the 23 listed projects above including multiple towers over 200m or more, it's still conceivable that Melbourne will be sporting another 30 skyscrapers beyond 200m in height in the years to come. If nothing else it serves to demonstrate the immense change still to grip Melbourne's skyline.

Although rules that govern the design of tall towers across <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a> and the <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">CBD</a> have changed, there's still a veritable mountain of skyscrapers yet to fully take their place on Melbourne's skyline; interesting times ahead for our fair city!

As always feel free to provide corrections or additions to the list above.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image36_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne's booming skyline on a sunny March day. Image: Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="451" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image36_4.jpg?itok=LpTktI0H" title="Melbourne's booming skyline on a sunny March day. Image: Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne's booming skyline on a sunny March day. Image: Ryan Seychell</figcaption></figure>
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The 200 metre club revisited

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A stretch of Little Lonsdale Street between Queen and Elizabeth is becoming a microcosm for various other pockets of the CBD and Southbank, in that is will be a showcase of previous planning attitudes. As a raft of new towers push through, the fundamental feel of this Little Lonsdale stretch is being altered to something very different.

The crux of the issue was best described by Laurence Dragomir at the turn of 2015:

<blockquote>
The proposed development continues the recent trend of large scale high-rises encroaching on the relatively low scale streetscapes which define Melbourne's 'Little' streets and laneways. I've always been a proponent for skyscrapers in the CBD, I won't shy away from that fact, however I don't consider developments of this scale to be appropriate responses to the character and grain of these areas.

The footprints of these sites is generally much smaller than the larger sites on the primary CBD streets. This results in narrow skyscrapers with two shared boundaries that if built to the extremity as usually tends to occur, creates a 'wall' effect that is amplified on much smaller streets from a pedestrian perspective.

I don't consider this to be a desirable outcome and would invite anyone to tell me otherwise or convince me that these are the type of streets we wish to create moving forward.
<cite>Laurence Dragomir, "<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/planning-application-278-little-lonsdale-street-melbourne">Planning Application: 278 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne</a>", February 19 2015</cite>
</blockquote>

Much has changed since early 2015, particularly the planning fundamentals that underpin what can and cannot be approved within Melbourne's CBD. The stretch of Little Lonsdale Street is heading into a phase of redefinition, owing to construction beginning on a number of towers that were approved prior to Minister Wynne's new planning decree.

Union Tower and 399 Little Lonsdale are both at early construction, with Brady Group also poised to launch sales for the <a href="/buildings/380-melbourne-380-lonsdale-street-melbourne">hulking 380 Melbourne</a>. With <a href="http://380melbourne.com.au/">380 Melbourne's website taking registrations</a>, Brady Group also have the approved 207 metre 272-282 Queens Street up their sleeve, as well as a failed development site opposite 380 Melbourne at 278 Little Lonsdale Street.

The above projects fall within a roughly 150 metre stretch of Little Lonsdale Street, turning it into a a monument to previous planning attitudes; highlighting all that is both good and bad about Melbourne's sustained development drive over recent years.

Good in that two multi-level car parks have or will be razed, with the expectation that what replaces them will be of an almost infinitely superior design outcome. Bad in that this emerging 'wall' effect will subsume another section of Melbourne's CBD, which incidentally acts as a gateway to the sensitive Guildford Lane Precinct.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image102_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="An engaging street level. Image: Brady Group "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="422" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image102_1.jpg?itok=M9TaC-OX" title="An engaging street level. Image: Brady Group " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>An engaging street level. Image: Brady Group</figcaption></figure>380 Melbourne as the are's largest development also shapes as the most promising. A much improved public realm experience will see an aesthetically pleasing street level overhaul, including a new mid block pedestrian thoroughfare and heavily green aspects applied to its Little Lonsdale Street podium.

380 Melbourne has the luxury of maintaining quite a sizeable development plot, allowing for higher levels of design sophistication and increased setbacks. 399 Little Lonsdale and Union Tower with their smaller plots employ lesser setbacks, resulting in "a 'wall' effect that is amplified on much smaller streets from a pedestrian perspective" as Laurence so correctly spoke about.

Add these projects to the already completed Melbourne Star, Melbourne Sky and Elm Tower, and the result is less than ideal. In isolation each project has its own design merit, yet together they shift the physical form well beyond what should be considered acceptable for the area, while eroding the finer grain street level character of the area.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image106.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="399 Little Lonsdale and Union Tower. Images: K2LD &amp; RotheLowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="317" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image106.jpg?itok=0NT8HoGv" title="399 Little Lonsdale and Union Tower. Images: K2LD &amp; RotheLowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>399 Little Lonsdale and Union Tower. Images: K2LD &amp; RotheLowman</figcaption></figure>With Planning Minister Richard Wynne's reworked planning controls, the 'Little Lonsdale effect' could now not be repeated elsewhere within Melbourne's CBD.

What remains unclear is Brady Group's intentions for the Phillips Shirts site at 278 Little Lonsdale Street. Submitted prior to the change in planning controls and having failed to gain approval for a 180 metre residential tower, the historic building now sits forlorn as if almost caught between two differing planning eras.

It will be fascinating to see Little Lonsdale Street change over the next five years. For those who appreciate the current character of this stretch of Little Lonsdale Street, best take it in now while you still can.
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Little Lonsdale Street becomes a showcase of previous planning attitudes

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Little more than a week after <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/clifton-hill-in-for-a-dose-of-the-high-life-with-17-levels-planned">unveiling plans for Queens Parade's first high-rise</a>, Urban.com.au can report on a second intended tower expected to grace the thoroughfare.

Prevalent local developer Gurner has gone to planning with a substantial proposal for 26-56 Queens Parade, seeking approval for a 16 level apartment tower over what is now a low-rise commercial premises.

476 dwellings are called for over the 8,500sqm site which is close to both Alexandra Parade and Brunswick Street. Purchased off-market by Gurner during January for in excess of $40 million, the estimated cost of the project is nominated as $85 million.

Sited with City of Yarra’s Gasworks Precinct, the current building is highly recognisable due to its pink façade, and holds a 120m frontage to Queens Parade.

It's been reported that Gurner has approached one international and three Australian architecture firms in a competitive design process with an aim of delivering a high quality built form outcome onsite. Which architect has the task of delivering the design remains to be seen.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ftznorth.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The site in question. Image: GURNER"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="266" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ftznorth.jpg?itok=RECS0DCE" title="The site in question. Image: GURNER" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The site in question. Image: GURNER</figcaption></figure>Factoring in those projects at planning or with planning approval, and apartment living is set to take hold along Queens Parade. Gurner, Salta Properties, Wulff Projects and TLC Aged care as noteworthy developers active along Queens Parade, with as many as 1,000 new dwellings in the pipeline.

Nearby and the sizeable former 4-hectare Gasworks site is <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/fitzroy-gasworks-back-in-play-20160426-gof0pl">speculated to be heading toward development</a>, with Places Victoria looking to facilitate change over the underutilised land.

The only recent apartment development of note to grace Queens Parade is Graphite at 58 Queens Parade. Developed by BPM, Graphite was completed during 2015 and sees 46 apartments over 5 levels.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image58_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Spanish Club's intended transformatiom. Image: Warren and Mahoney"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="406" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image58_2.jpg?itok=c5CD1MFb" title="Spanish Club's intended transformatiom. Image: Warren and Mahoney" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Spanish Club's intended transformation. Image: Warren and Mahoney</figcaption></figure>26-56 Queens Parade's 476 dwellings are in addition to Gurner's seven projects found within the Urban.com.au Project Database, which amount to some 670 apartments.

Of those, 375 apartments are under construction by way of 107 Cambridge Street, Ikebana and 24-28 Stanley Street. 74 Eastern Road is awaiting construction after a successful sales campaign while 278-282 Kings Way, 7 Bowen Crescent and The Spanish Club at 57-61 Johnston Street are also at planning.

Gurner was also tied to <a href="https://developmentsites.melbourne/footscray/1-warde-street">1 Warde Street, Footscray</a> with the site which carries approval for 388 apartments now offered for sale with CBRE City Sales.
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Doubling up on Queens Parade as Gurner seeks approval for 476 dwellings

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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its updated regional population growth figures on Wednesday and at 14,114 people per square kilometre, the Melbourne CBD sits as the second most densely populated area of the country behind Pyrmont-Ultimo in Sydney (15,117 people per square kilometre) .

Based on development underway and in the pipeline - in the sheer number of projects and the size of them - the Melbourne CBD is likely to be in pole position within 12-24 months.

The density statistics are based on the ABS' <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/88F6A0EDEB8879C0CA257801000C64D9">"SA2</a>" regions and the Melbourne CBD SA2 area is bounded by the Yarra, Flinders Street, Spring Street, Victoria Street, Peel/William Street, La Trobe Street and Spencer Street (refer to the lead image above).

The merits of eventually being the most densely populated part of Australia - using the ABS methodology - are likely to be contested, however the oncoming ascension to the premier position is notable given the state of affairs in Melbourne's CBD 30 years ago.

I wonder if the City of Melbourne would have thought it possible in the 1980s that their heartland was to one day become the country's most densely populated?

We've come a long way since the early days of postcode 3000.

On June 30th 2015, the population of Melbourne's CBD stood at 33,433 according to the ABS data and the area bounded by the streets and river mentioned above measures 2.4 square kilometres.

Looking ahead over the next five to ten years it's not going to be a gradual ascension to the top of the ABS' SA2 density league tables, it's more likely to be akin to a violent, out-of-control steamroller driven by an angry mob that is going to set the bar incredibly high.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/collins_st_5pm_ngv.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="John Brack's &quot;Collins Street, 5pm&quot; painted in 1955. Image via NGV"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="408" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_st_5pm_ngv.jpg?itok=EFu9Znqn" title="John Brack's &quot;Collins Street, 5pm&quot; painted in 1955. Image via NGV" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>John Brack's "Collins Street, 5pm" painted in 1955. Image via <a href="http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/3161/">NGV</a></figcaption></figure>Consider the following.

We're tracking 68 residential, student accommodation or mixed-use projects on the Urban.com.au Project Database located within the Melbourne SA2 and they have a combined 27,000-30,000 dwellings.

18 of the projects are currently under construction which together will produce 6000-7000 dwellings. According to the <a href="http://melbournepopulation.geografia.com.au/areas/CLSA01">City of Melbourne</a>, the average household size in the CBD standas at 1.91 and is forecast to decrease to 1.44 over the longer term.

The number of dwellings under construction could equate to a further 8500 to 10,000 new residents when using the longer-term household size forecast, potentially boosting the total population to 42,000-43,500 and increasing the population density of 17,500-18,125.

11 projects have a sales campaign underway and that, in total, is another 5000 dwellings in the pipeline with the potential to provide space for 7,200 new residents.

The remaining 39 projects being assessed by council or the Minister and those that are already approved total 16,000-18,000 dwellings; creating enough living space for 23,000-26,000 new Melburnists.

Even if only half the projects in the pipeline - everything except what's currently under construction - were to eventually be built and tenanted, that's could equate to a further 15,000-17,000 new Melbourne CBD residents.

Doubling the population and therefore the population density of Melbourne's CBD over the next 5-10 years? It's very much realistic and the numbers above broadly correlate with the <a href="http://melbournepopulation.geografia.com.au/areas/CLSA01">City of Melbourne's own forecast</a>.

In ten years the population density of Melbourne's CBD is forecast to between 26,000 and 27,000 people per square kilometre, comparable with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_arrondissement_of_Paris">10th</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_arrondissement_of_Paris">14th</a> arrondissements of Paris, and similar to the projections for the 'half-sized' Fishermans Bend based on <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/fishermans-bend-to-become-australias-most-densely-populated-area">public domain information from 2013</a>.

That's what I meant by it's going to be violent ascension above all other national peers. No wonder the Lord Mayor was keen to see 447 Collins and its new green space approved.
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Alastair Taylor

Melbourne CBD on course to be the most densely populated area in Australia

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It has become increasing difficult to decipher the status of the many towers beyond 200 metres that are or are intending to stake their place in the Melbourne skyline. While <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/568-collins-street-melbourne">568 Collins Street</a> is at completion and a handful of others are in their construction infancy, a veil of uncertainty hangs above many intended developments.

The recent implementation of sweeping new planning regulations has cast doubt over many of the proposals which are both at planning and intended. Indeed the number of towers that Urban.com.au has identified for Melbourne beyond the 200 metre mark is ranging somewhere between 25 and 35; such is the uncertainty within the industry at the moment.

Only those close to each and every application know the status of their projects, and few are willing to comment at this time. Below is a current status of all 200 metre plus developments as best gleaned by Urban.com.au:

<h2>Under construction</h2>

No doubt surrounds these projects, with construction progress on the following: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/eq-tower-127-abeckett-street-melbourne">EQ Tower</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Victoria One</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Light House</a>, Vision. Vision is the most advanced as it's rapidly approaching the 200 metre construction mark while the others have quite a way to go.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image3_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="EQ Tower, Australia 108 render and Vision Tower looming large"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="401" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image3_2.jpg?itok=4bYgpZ3V" title="EQ Tower, Australia 108 render and Vision Tower looming large" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>EQ Tower, Australia 108 render and Vision Tower looming large</figcaption></figure>Joining the list at construction is <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">Australia 108</a> which Urban.com.au <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/brookfield-multiplex-appointed-builder-for-australia-108-piling-to-commence-in-october">reported last week</a> as officially gaining Brookfield Multiplex as head contractor; works are due to begin onsite next month. <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">Aurora Melbourne Central</a> also has Probuild installed as its builder, with preliminary site demolition works having commenced for the sizeable tower.

<h2>Can't touch this</h2>

A handful of projects beyond 200 metres hold planning approval and are at sales, seemingly free from the <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/interim-central-melbourne-planning-controls-the-detail">new interim building controls</a> that look likely to derail a number of proposals that have not been lodged.

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/swanston-central-168-victoria-street-carlton">Swanston Central</a> is at sales, set to make a notable difference to the city's northern skyline while <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/elysium-54-clarke-street-southbank">Elysium Southbank</a> is poised to launch its sales campaign for the highly distinctive BKK-designed edifice. <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/premier-tower-134-160-spencer-street-melbourne">Premier Tower</a> opposite Southern Cross Station is full steam ahead with project architect Elenberg Fraser suggesting works will begin onsite during March 2016.

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/38-freshwater-place-southbank">25-35 Power Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/380-melbourne-380-lonsdale-street-melbourne">380 Lonsdale Street</a> are sitting on approval, as is <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">West Side Place</a>, with its sales campaign for the first tower which includes a Ritz Carlton set to launch.

<h2>The great unknown</h2>

The situation becomes decidedly more murky from this point (at least from a public perspective), with more questions than answers for the remaining batch of 200 metre plus towers. <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/150-queen-street-melbourne">Tower Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a> for example both hold planning approval but are no certainty to proceed.

It's been said that for differing reasons both may need to reapply for a planning permit and subject to the new planning controls may not receive approval in anywhere near their current form. Tower Melbourne in particular would be hoping to avoid this following the protracted legal dispute with its neighbouring land owner.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image5_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Renders depicting 640 Bourke, 350 Queen and 32 Flinders Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="359" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image5_1.jpg?itok=q5triNqG" title="Renders depicting 640 Bourke, 350 Queen and 32 Flinders Street" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Renders depicting 640 Bourke, 350 Queen and 32 Flinders Street</figcaption></figure>This leaves as many as seventeen 200 metre towers at planning, with the outcome of each as yet publicly unknown. The status of <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">293-303 La Trobe Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">63 Exhibition Street </a>is unknown; both of which are still active on the GreenLight online register while <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">555 Collins Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank">1 Queensbridge Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">180 Russell Street </a>remain active applications after having been at planning for considerable periods of time.

Word has it that <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/32-44-flinders-street-melbourne">32-44 Flinders Street</a> is headed for VCAT, leaving more recent submissions such as <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/293-297-city-road-southbank-vic-3006">295 City Road</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aspire-melbourne-301-king-st-melbourne">295-309 King Street</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/640-bourke-street-melbourne-640-bourke-street-melbourne-vic-3000">640 Bourke Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/queens-place-157-a-beckett-street-and-370-queen-street-melbourne">350 Queen Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/272-282-queen-street-melbourne">280 Queen Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/melbourne-square-93-119-kavanagh-street-southbank">93-119 Kavanagh Street</a> to traverse the planning process. Further applications at 111-125 A'Beckett Street, 183-189 A'Beckett Street, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">478 Elizabeth Street</a> and 71-87 City Road are also in play.

<h2>Possibles but not probables</h2>

260 La Trobe Street shaped as a likely tower with a preliminary assessment in front of CASA that seemingly has not entered state planning prior to the new interim controls, possibly rendering the intended 260 metre tower invalid; it remains to be seen what will come of the proposal.

All in all there will be a none too small change to Melbourne skyline in the next handful of years. The scope of this change remains to be seen, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that a further 20-25 towers beyond the 200 metre mark will sprout skyward soon enough.

This article has been updated to remove images relating to 245 City Road. The original information was incorrect.
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Status unknown: a current overview of the 200 metre club

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With more ins and outs than your favourite football team, it's an opportune time to provide a synopsis of all the towers vying to, or in the process of joining the Melbourne's 200 metre club. Much has changed since the last time Urban.com.au visited the matter during <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/melbournes-200-metre-club-bursting-at-the-seams">August 2014</a>; new projects are seeking their place in the skyline while others have fallen by the wayside.

Rather than provide a simple list of those projects beyond 200 metres which are at varying stages of the development cycle, all projects are noted below according to their current status.

<h2>Hitting the heights</h2>

Following the completion of Prima-Pearl on Southbank, Melbourne theoretically sees eight projects in excess of 200 metres currently at construction; theoretically being the term of choice.

The sorry saga of <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/150-queen-street-melbourne">Tower Melbourne</a> continues with its onsite tower crane now dormant for well over a year. Although the legal wranglings surrounding the project look to have been settled, the site is anything but buzzing with activity. Also theoretically at construction is <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">250 Spencer Street</a> which under the guidance of St Kilda Road-based Far East Consortium has approval for four towers in excess of 200 metres. Following demolition completion, Brookfield Multiplex now have signage across the site with early works poised to begin.

Hong Kong-based parent company Far East Consortium International Limited has new renderings of the quartet of towers on their website, with the Melbourne's new Ritz-Carlton taking the most prominent position.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image180.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="250 Spencer Street featuring Ritz-Carlton. Image courtesy FECIL"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="243" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image180.jpg?itok=DnBX2TFT" title="250 Spencer Street featuring Ritz-Carlton. Image courtesy FECIL" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>250 Spencer Street featuring Ritz-Carlton. Image courtesy FECIL</figcaption></figure>The remaining six projects are at varying stages of construction. <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/eq-tower-127-abeckett-street-melbourne">EQ Tower</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Light House</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Victoria One</a>, Vision, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/568-collins-street-melbourne">568 Collins Street</a> and Melbourne tallest building, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/australia-108-southbank-70-southbank-boulevard-southbank">Australia 108</a> are keeping Melbourne's biggest builders occupied. These projects are soon to be joined by <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">Aurora Melbourne Central</a> which will see demolition begin next month in preparation for the hulking tower to begin its journey skyward.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/6c578f571fb50bf34f85b8f592d0199c.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Vision moving on up. Image courtesy Ryan Setchell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/6c578f571fb50bf34f85b8f592d0199c.jpg?itok=kNAUqsc9" title="Vision moving on up. Image courtesy Ryan Setchell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Vision moving on up. Image courtesy Ryan Setchell</figcaption></figure><h2>Approved but not yet at sales</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/a0f2d633-2112_power_st_web_640x245_freshwater_horizontal.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="M &amp; L Hospitality's Power Street development. Image courtesy mnlth.com"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="221" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/a0f2d633-2112_power_st_web_640x245_freshwater_horizontal.jpg?itok=EjF3jKIN" title="M &amp; L Hospitality's Power Street development. Image courtesy mnlth.com" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>M &amp; L Hospitality's Power Street development. Image courtesy mnlth.com</figcaption></figure>M&amp;L Hospitality have new signage across <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/38-freshwater-place-southbank">25-35 Power Street</a> signifying their intention to proceed with the 273 metre mixed-use tower designed by Metier 3. Carrying the above render on their website, M&amp;L Hospitality show the tower to have hotel rooms across levels 57-71 with a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom residential apartments below.

Project amenities will include a roof top Sky Bar on Level 73 as well as a pool and spa on level 72. The developer which is also undertaking a large expansion of its Four Points by Sheraton at Darling Harbour in Sydney, will see its new Melbourne project create 800 full time construction jobs over the build and 175-200 direct hotel jobs when completed.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image13_380.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="380 Lonsdale Street. Image courtesy Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="893" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image13_380.jpg?itok=ROONdG_s" title="380 Lonsdale Street. Image courtesy Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>380 Lonsdale Street. Image courtesy Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>Hengyi have recently snapped up <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/swanston-central-168-victoria-street-carlton">8 Bouverie Street</a> with scope for 1,035 dwellings, while <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/elysium-54-clarke-street-southbank">Elysium</a> on Southbank is taking registrations of interest for what will become one of Melbourne's more fascinating buildings upon completion. <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/380-melbourne-380-lonsdale-street-melbourne">380 Lonsdale Street</a> also hold approval with the latter to include an Aloft Hotel.

<h2>A pain in the ass-essment</h2>

The landscape has changed with a new State Government signalling a tougher stance on development in and around Melbourne. Here are the projects beyond 200 metres which have yet to gain a final planning approval… or may never gain it.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image174.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="32 Flinders and 158 City Road. Images courtesy SJB and Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image174.jpg?itok=DQx4LGg5" title="32 Flinders and 158 City Road. Images courtesy SJB and Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>32 Flinders and 158 City Road. Images courtesy SJB and Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>First glimpses of two as yet unseen proposals, namely Dexus' <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/32-44-flinders-street-melbourne">32-44 Flinders Street</a> and EIPD's <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">158 City Road</a>. The former seeks a 212 metre SJB-designed structure with 595 apartments in addition to 30 SoHo living options. 158 City Road on the other hand largely conforms to the previously approved envelope, albeit expanded to 218 metres and with 722 apartments included.

Fresh applications to the 200 metre club include Fig Tree Holdings' unseen 293-303 La Trobe Street which has gone to planning during April. At 67 levels it will likely to weigh in at approximately 210 metres while carrying 370 apartments. Only last week <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/queens-place-157-a-beckett-street-and-370-queen-street-melbourne">350 Queen Street</a> was unveiled at a maximum height of 268 metres with Queens Place its likely moniker. Developer 3L Alliance is also proposing a second tower onsite which looks to be beyond the 200 metre mark.

Nine other towers at the planning assessment stage find themselves beyond the 200 metre threshold. Covered at one point or another on Urban.com.au, they include <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/272-282-queen-street-melbourne">280 Queen Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/293-297-city-road-southbank-vic-3006">295 City Road</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank">1 Queensbridge Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aspire-melbourne-301-king-st-melbourne">295 King Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">555 Collins Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">180 Russell Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/premier-tower-134-160-spencer-street-melbourne">134 Spencer Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/docklands-vic-3008">85-93 Lorimer Street</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">63 Exhibition Street</a>.

Change is a constant when projects are at planning, as is the policy that surrounds them; there remains the likelihood that a number of the projects listed above will be revised downward in scale.

<h2>​Coming up short</h2>

What of the projects that have regressed or are just short of the 200 metre benchmark? They too require mention based upon their sheer numbers.

Three previously submitted proposals substantially beyond the 200 metre mark have been altered in favour of shortened outcomes. Of <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/madison-grand-334-city-road-southbank">334-344 City Road</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/avant-60-abeckett-street-melbourne">54-64 A'Beckett Street</a>, and the much hyped 447 Collins Street, the shortest tower was to have been 265 metres. 447 Collins Street at 297 metres will now make way for dual 194 metre towers according to Cbus Property.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/w800-h600-2011932882_3_pi_150427_060128.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Oceania Construction Group's A'Beckett Street proposal"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="501" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/w800-h600-2011932882_3_pi_150427_060128.jpg?itok=W-DXzrV9" title="Oceania Construction Group's A'Beckett Street proposal" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Oceania Construction Group's A'Beckett Street proposal</figcaption></figure>Other to miss out marginally on joining the 200 metre club include <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">Uni Tower</a> at 48 A'Beckett Street which leads the pack at 198 metres, followed by <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/collins-house-melbourne-460-466-collins-street-melbourne">Collins House</a> at 195 metres and the revised Cbus 447 Collins Street twins which have yet to be submitted at 194 metres.

Also worthy of mention is the approved <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/home-southbank-256-260-city-road-southbank">256-260 City Road</a> at 193 metres in height and the trio of <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">80 Collins Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/empire-melbourne-398-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Empire Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/shadow-play-105-clarendon-street-southbank">Shadow Play</a> which are all just shy of 190 metres.

All in all there's the potential for 31 towers in excess of 200 metres to grace Melbourne skyline in addition to those existing… and we may have missed one or two. Industry rumours persist on a number of other projects which are in the pipeline that will add to the 200 metre list. You can reference every project above 200 metres listed within the Urban.com.au Project Database via the individual listings below.
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A synopsis of Melbourne's 200 metre plus towers produces a startling number

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A design can now be put to the news reported upon during late 2014 concerning Brady Group's latest intended Melbourne project. 280 Queen Street has been in and out of planning for the best part of four years, but with the news that Brady Group is the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/brady-group-push-to-develop-80level-queen-street-tower-20141111-11k5jn">intended developer</a> of the mid-CBD site, the chances of the current scheme progressing beyond approval have increased dramatically.

Weighing in at over 250 metres in height and located in an elevated part of the CBD, 280 Queen Street may become one of the more prominent buildings to grace Melbourne's skyline in years to come. Or even sooner as according to the article linked above Brady Group intent to proceed with the project in a relatively short time-frame.

<h2>Application summary</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image18_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="314" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_1.jpg?itok=ouwGMcCJ" title="280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Planning application submitted October 2014</li>
	<li>Current 1,290sqm site currently used as four and five storey office building</li>
	<li>Proposed 80 level mixed-use tower at 254.62 metres</li>
	<li>589 apartments - 242*1BR / 287 * 2BR / 36*3BR</li>
	<li>Included are 23 Penthouses and one custom design penthouse</li>
	<li>1,400.2sqm office space through podium</li>
	<li>322.4sqm retail space</li>
	<li>504sqm residential communal facilities</li>
	<li>130 basement car parking spaces</li>
</ul>
<h2>Apartments and penthouses</h2>

Dwellings within the project begin within the podium, fronting both Little Lonsdale to the north and Queen Street to the west. Beyond the podium a generic floor plan covers levels 9-35 and 37-63 where 9 apartments per floor is the norm, split between one and two bedroom options.

Sitting atop the penthouse floors is a split level custom designed penthouse located over levels 76/77. The lower floor contains 290.2sqm of internal space while the upper floor contains 265.6sqm, allowing a sizeable dwelling with unimpeded views given there are no towers of equal height either existing or planned nearby.

<h2>Finlay Lane retained</h2>

<blockquote>
There is an existing easement along the east boundary that joins with Finlay Lane, an ‘L’ shaped service lane, which connects to Queen Street. The existing easement and Finlay Lane provide rear access to the adjoining buildings. The lane is covered in registered street art. The proposed development seeks to maintain a predominately hard edge to this boundary with openings for vehicle access and loading. This will provide opportunities for future street art along the majority of these walls, maintaining the existing character of this lane.
<cite>Urbis - Town Planning Report</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Previous incarnations</h2>

Peddle Thorp have been active on the site in question for some years, initially devising a scheme for an office tower in excess of 200 metres, carrying a dappled facade. That particular scheme was superseded by another Peddle Thorp design which gained approval during 2013.

Championed by developers with little experience, the site lent itself to being onsold post approval resulting in the third and current version up for approval.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image17_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Early versions of 280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image17_0.jpg?itok=R-VtlLYJ" title="Early versions of 280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Early versions of 280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure>Also worthy of mention is that the current proposal for 280 Queen Street includes inactive precast panels to its eastern facade, reaching mid way up the tower. This is likely in response to the adjoining property at <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/399-little-lonsdale-street-melbourne">399 Little Lonsdale Street</a> which is also subject to a current 200 metre planning application.

399 Little Lonsdale Street's western-facing facade is also heavy with precast elements, albeit slightly activated with the sparse use of windows. Both proposals almost butt one another; the use of precast panels may go some way to mitigating concerns planning authorities may have about proximity.

<h2>Comment</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image14_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impressions of the proposed development. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="440" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image14_0.jpg?itok=v7xEGKVR" title="Artist's impressions of the proposed development. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impressions of the proposed development. Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure>The tower element of the design receives two thumbs up. With a bowed northern aspect and slanted roof profile, it adds more to the skyline than merely another rectangular box. Viewed from east and west, the asymmetrical apex is a worthwhile design feature.

Conversely the podium as presented in the renders looks less than ideal. In a case of 'misconstrued' rendering what looks to be a large blank orange volume is actually timber screening over activated levels while the yellow protrusion above the main entry is gold metal cladding. Fair to say it's quite hard to conceptualise the qualities of the podium based on the render above.

On the face of it the podium doesn't slot seamlessly into its surrounds.

Regardless Peddle Thorp have made the immediate area their own with 280 Queen Street joining the completed Melbourne Star and Melbourne Sky apartment towers (both Brady Group projects), in addition to <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">278 Little Lonsdale</a> which is at planning. Add the under construction Vision and the Brady Group-Peddle Thorp alliance is defined by a handful of deep blue towers dominating the area.

<h2>Development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: 280 Queen Pty Ltd / Brady Group</li>
	<li>Urban context report: Peddle Thorp Architects</li>
	<li>Architectural plans: Peddle Thorp Architects</li>
	<li>Town planning: Urbis</li>
	<li>Traffic and Transport Assessment: Cardno</li>
	<li>ESD report: Sustainable Built Environments</li>
	<li>Wind Assessment: MEL Consultants</li>
	<li>Waste Management:y Leigh Design</li>
</ul>
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Planning Application: 280 Queen Street, Melbourne

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Since resuming normal operations post the festive period, Urban.com.au's <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments">project database</a> has averaged one additional new project entry per day during 2015. Updated existing entries aside, no less than 50 new residential projects have taken their place within the database.

While a select few new developments added during 2015 are either at sales or under construction, the vast majority of new listings are either seeking or have recently obtained planning approval. Combined these 50 projects have the potential to pump approximately 4,520 new dwellings into the Melbourne residential sector.

<h2>By the numbers</h2>

2015's new listings show that no less than 15 Melbourne municipalities have had at least one project added to their ranks. Stonnington, Port Phillip and Moreland are the most popular municipalities, accounting for 23/50 listings.

While this is expected given the popularity for high-density living in these areas, it's also a reflection of the ease in which information can be sourced online for the three nominated councils above. Conversely certain other councils have scarce little easily accessible planning documents available online. There are for instance 15 sizeable planning applications located within City of Whitehorse's boundaries that have little recognition online via the council's webpage.

Overall there are currently 677 listings within Urban.com.au's project database; 344 are shown to be either under assessment or approved with the balance split between registrations/sales and construction.

<h2>The newest entry</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image15_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="81A Bell Street. Image courtesy Taylors"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="221" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image15_0.jpg?itok=5_gVLYK_" title="81A Bell Street. Image courtesy Taylors" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>81 Bell Street. Image courtesy Taylors</figcaption></figure>Most recent to enter the database is the latest incarnation for the what was once Coburg High School. Subject to a distinct doughnut-shaped, JCB-designed proposal in recent years, the site is now before Moreland City Council. Expected to be delivered in stages, <a href="/developments/coburg-vic-3058">81 Bell Street</a> consists of five separate buildings with 8-11 levels the requested outcome.

Holding 391 apartments overall, 81 Bell Street's scheme is distributed over an approximately 12,000sqm site which has been vacant for the best part of a decade. In its recommendation to Moreland's Urban Planning Committee, council officers suggest a planning permit be issued for the first stage of the development.

<h2>Looking ahead</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image46.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="555 Collins, 280 Queen Street &amp; 104 Mount Street, Heidelberg"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="352" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image46.jpg?itok=IISMyH_E" title="555 Collins, 280 Queen Street &amp; 104 Mount Street, Heidelberg" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>555 Collins, 280 Queen Street &amp; 104 Mount Street, Heidelberg</figcaption></figure>With a healthy backlog of projects awaiting entry into the project database, it seems that Melbourne's apartment sector will continue to march on unabated.

Seen above are but three of the many projects that will appear in the database over coming weeks. While 555 Collins Street is well known, 280 Queen Street at 250-odd metres and 104 Mount Street, Heidelberg are examples of projects that have escaped the public gaze to date.

Combining the burgeoning number of apartment projects Melbourne-wide and expanded research capabilities of Urban.com.au, the Urban.com.au project database will continue to grow at a rapid pace in the months to come; the expectation is that it will comfortably exceed a hefty 800 listings in the not too distant future.
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272-282 Queen Street, Melbourne

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Meet the team behind 272-282 Queen Street, Melbourne

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News about 272-282 Queen Street, Melbourne

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The 200 metre club revisited

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A synopsis of Melbourne's 200 metre plus towers produces a startling number

Planning Application: 280 Queen Street, Melbourne

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