Richmond off the plan apartments

Boutique Melbourne apartment developer PACASA, in collaboration with Cera Stribley Architects, has had quick-fire success at it's recently launched Richmond project, Park House.

There's only 14 apartments and townhouses to choose from in the five-level Church Street building, which sits in a unique pocket at the base of Richmond Hill.&nbsp;Every building to the west of Park House is single-level heritage, so the views back to the city can't be built out.

PACASA Director Stefano Paciocco said that whilst Richmond locals have flocked to the development, it’s also generating significant interest from Melbourne’s upmarket eastern suburbs.

“We’ve had a lot of enquiry from downsizers who live in the likes of Malvern, Glen Iris, Hawthorn, Kew, but the &nbsp;Richmond locals have loved it most.

"They love the area and know what it's about, but they've not really had anything suitable to buy into before Park House."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110363 project_image_fid=213016]

Paciocco says buyers have responded to both the project and the location.

"There's higher density to the northern end of Church Street, but we've found a niche on Richmond Hill where buyers know new projects are a rarity."

While Paciocco admits being in the Richmond Hill area comes with its planning challenges, the uniqueness of the product is driving their sales rates to $18,000 per sqm, a figure not often, if ever, seen in Richmond before.

The two-bedroom apartments in Park House are priced at $1.2 million and have nearly 100 sqm of living area. The three-bedroom apartments are priced from $1.65 million. The crowning jewel is the four-bedroom, 396 sqm penthouse. There's also three-bedroom apartments with their own private rooftop terraces with optional spa upgrade.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110363 project_image_fid=213014]

The development will be anchored by two commercial spaces, which are likely to home an upmarket hospitality venue or a showroom.

Prominent Melbourne architect Cera Stribley has designed the building, with the brief from PACASA to pay homage to the timeless grandeur of Richmond's Victorian-era architecture, while blending heritage with contemporary living.

"Richmond is known for its Victorian era terrace houses, with rows of narrow sites infilled with brick cottages the common vernacular," the architecture firm said.

"At a streetscape level, these narrow lots have created strong repetition that becomes punctuated with subtle details from the period, such as iron lattice work and arched windows.

"The façade of Park House seeks to borrow from this language, referencing the narrow lots of the area in a façade based around finely gridded proportions. This association is further strengthened using brick as the primary material, complimented with metal details.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110363 project_image_fid=213020]

"The Richmond palette is one of brick and urban gardens, with every open space heavily used by the community. The tinted concrete façade seeks to blend into the architecture already in place across Richmond, with planter boxes across the podium offering another layer of character to each apartment and bringing landscape into the otherwise commercial streetscape of bridge road."

PACASA are hoping to start construction on Park House, which is targeting a 7.5 star NatHERS energy rating, later this year.

They already have their sights set on their next project, a similarly boutique block in Collingwood.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=110363]

PACASA Director Stefano Paciocco said, while they've had significant interest from Melbourne's eastern suburbs, it's been Richmond locals who have dominated the purchases so far

Joel Robinson

Locals drive sales at PACASA's recently launched Richmond apartment development, Park House

Richmond's Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre is set to become a new urban village, as co-owners Vicinity Centres and Salta Properties plot a $900 million redevelopment of the landmark site.

The precinct will be a&nbsp;mix of residential, commercial, retail, lifestyle and entertainment offerings on the corner of Burnley and Doonside Street, which has been home to the Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre for almost 19 years.

The corner precinct will essentially be split in two. The Doonside Precinct, designed by Cox Architecture and NH Architecture, will connect with Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre to the north and will have six new residential buildings with shared amenity, comprising 839 new apartments. There will be over 12,000 of new retail and commercial floorspace with a new fresh food Market Hall, 3,500 sqm of new public open space, 844 new bike spaces, and&nbsp;518 car spaces.

The&nbsp;River Boulevard Precinct will connect to Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre from the east and will have more residential buildings with 840 new dwellings, more than 6,200 sqm of publicly accessible open space, 6,700 sqm of new retail space,&nbsp;26,600 sqm of commercial office space, and a new 110 place childcare centre. There will also be 1,323 car spaces.

Vicinity’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Peter Huddle, said the proposal reflects the long-term strategy to transform the site to a sustainable mixed-use, urban village, while also responding to the change in consumer preferences to live, work and play close to home.

“The development will seamlessly connect Victoria Gardens to the surrounding community and deliver a vibrant fresh food Market Hall for Richmond’s growing population," Huddle says.

"It will also offer more diverse housing options in an amenity-rich, urban environment to improve wellness, productivity, and social connection.”

<img alt="Vicinity" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a16260a9-7fc0-4acd-86f2-66a9311f5c96" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-02-22%20at%209.48.56%20am.png?VersionId=FD2r82QXNnl4OOcofVOvq3eiCeCM6HB0" />

Key to realising the value of Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre in a popular pocket of Melbourne’s inner east, well connected by public transport, will be the proposal’s creation of 1,679 new homes, with a mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences.

Salta’s Managing Director, Sam Tarascio said the vision for the evolution of Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre was the creation between Vicinity, Salta and one of Australia’s best architects – Cox and NH.

“The proposal is the coming of age of Victoria Gardens – from shopping centre to a thriving and sustainable urban village in the heart of Richmond," Tarascio says.

"It will deliver new public realms and open spaces and evolve to become a place to not only work and shop – but live, connect, rest and play.

“Honouring our ongoing commitment to sustainability, the proposal includes net zero carbon emissions for residential common areas and back-of-house services, and incorporates the site’s rich history, including restoring the heritage pub – The Loyal Studley Hotel, built in 1891.”

With a total construction cost of $900 million, the expansion and redevelopment of Vic Gardens is projected to create 680 jobs each year during construction and support more than 3,300 ongoing jobs across the precinct upon completion.

Vicinity and Salta are seeking the necessary planning approvals for the proposed redevelopment through the Victorian Government’s Development Facilitation Program, committing to client and community engagement throughout the process, while working closely with the Department of Transport and Planning and City of Yarra to begin the evolution of Victoria Gardens.

<h2>Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre Fast Facts</h2>

The masterplan for Vic Gardens consists of two new main components, which will transform the popular shopping destination, creating a precinct of open spaces, new homes, office spaces, and an extended retail, lifestyle and entertainment offerings.

<h3>Doonside Precinct</h3>

• A new mixed-use precinct at the corner of Burnley and Doonside Streets, seamlessly connected with 
Victoria Gardens to the north. 
• Designed by renowned architects Cox and NH. 
• 12,070 square metres of new retail and commercial floorspace, with a new fresh food Market Hall. 
• Six new residential buildings with shared amenities, providing 839 new homes. 
• 3,500 square metres of new publicly accessible open space. 
• 844 new bike spaces. 
• 518 car spaces

<h3> 
River Boulevard Precinct</h3>

Connecting the east of Vic Gardens to the Yarra River corridor through a series of publicly accessible, open and sunlit spaces and thoroughfares. 
• More than 6,200 square metres of publicly accessible open space. 
• 840 new dwellings across a cluster of new residential buildings. 
• 6,700 square metres of new retail space. 
• 26,600 square metres of commercial office space and a new 110 place childcare centre. 
• 1,323 car spaces

The precinct will be a mix of residential, commercial, retail, lifestyle and entertainment offerings on the corner of Burnley and Doonside Street, which has been home to Victoria Gardens for almost 19 years

Richmond off the plan apartments

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