Oliver Hume and JCB add to the West Melbourne dynamic
Integrated residential property funds management and real estate services organisation Oliver Hume is seeking to develop another slice of industrial West Melbourne, becoming the group's third Melbourne apartment project behind Ilixir in Cheltenham and The Principal which fronts Flemington Road.
Jackson Clements Burrows are behind the design for 164-184 Roden Street which if approved, will retain the exterior of the substantial heritage building onsite, along with a portion of the interior floor plate set back to the inner columns. This is done so in order to provide legitimacy to a healthy number of warehouse shells intended within the development.
Works for the existing onsite building began during 1889, with subsequent additions through to 1937 for then expanding hardware merchants Briscoe & Co. According to heritage consultants Bryce Raworth,164-184 Roden Street and the associated street addresses the existing building holds fall under a D grade heritage listing.
City of Melbourne have received 12 objections to the development.
A sales campaign for the site was conducted by CBRE during late 2014, with Oliver Hume's plans for the project lodged with City of Melbourne during June of this year.
164-172 Roden Street application summary
- Site offered for sale during late 2014
- 3,637sqm site containing dual industrial warehouse buildings and three street frontages
- Proposed partial demolition and construction of an 8 level, 28.8m buildings
- 206 dwellings: 21 x warehouse shells, 2 x duplex, 30 x loft, 101 x 1BR, 52 x 2BR
- Provision for 120 vehicle and 150 bicycle bays over two basement levels
- Jack Merlo designed landscaped internal courtyard
206 dwellings are included within the project's eight levels, despite a planning overlay expecting a preferred building height of four storeys. From a prospective apartment buyer's point of view, 164-184 Roden Street may be an attractive prospect as the development team has gone to lengths to create diversity of living options within the development.
Dual level warehouse shells, duplexes and loft options add to the ubiquitous one and two bedroom apartments within the development. Single bedroom apartments span the 48sqm-62sqm range, with living options expanding in size thereafter.
The warehouse and loft formats presumably seek to set the project apart from its West Melbourne contemporaries, with advertised plans indicating that both loft and warehouse options are proportionately large. Two storey, two bedroom lofts sit between 97-98sqm with ample exterior areas in tow.
News of Oliver Hume's Roden Street endeavour comes as another prominent site in West Melbourne went to planning last week. 405-417 Spencer Street is now subject to a 22 level application which seeks retail and commercial uses in addition to 181 apartments.
405-417 Spencer Street aside, the entry of 164-184 Roden Street to the Urban.com.au Project Database sees 25 separate residential projects listed within West Melbourne, with total apartment numbers for these projects in excess of 3,300.
Largest of all these projects is 355-371 Spencer Street which carries approval for 700 plus apartments, while West Melbourne's tallest building is currently heading skyward. Set to reach 131 metres, The Spencer as seen above has picked up its construction pace considerably now that the build is beyond the podium levels.
164-184 Roden Street development team
- Developer: Oliver Hume
- Architect and Urban Context Report: Jackson Clements Burrows
- Planning: Contour Consultants Australia
- Heritage Consultants: Bryce Raworth
- Traffic: Traffix Group
- Landscape Architect: Jack Merlo Design
- ESD: ECM Group
- Waste: Leigh Design
