March 31, 2023   FEATURED, PROMOTED

22-storey serviced and residential apartment tower approved

LOS ANGELES: A new 22-storey apartment tower will include a mix of hotel serviced apartments and multigenerational living spaces.

A developer’s plan to “future-proof” a $21.5 million 22-storey tower in East Perth and eventually convert its proposed serviced apartments into strictly residential apartments has been given State planning approval.

Perth Local Development Assessment Panel members, including City of Perth councillor Catherine Lezer, unanimously approved the plans on Thursday.

Three landowners plan to build a 22-level mixed-use tower at 52-56 Bennett Street and 7 Forrest Avenue in East Perth.

The tower is proposed to have 73 serviced apartments and 12 residential apartments, a restaurant or cafe tenancy and 55 car parking bays.

“The subject site is well located, being within close proximity to a number of existing public transport options, services, facilities and parks (including) Wellington Square, Queens Gardens and Langley Park, making it an ideal location for long-term and short-term residential development,” applicant Element’s planning principal Daniel Lees said on behalf of the landowners.

Element said in a report the future intent for the development was for the serviced apartments to be converted into permanent residential apartments after at least 10 years of their first occupation.

“As such the serviced apartments, which have been designed with this future conversion in mind, are significantly larger compared to typical short-stay apartments, provided with balconies and outdoor living areas and afforded significantly more amenity than a typical serviced apartment development,” the report said.

The “future-proofing” of the development is also reflected in the developer’s plans, with basement levels two and three currently marked as future parking that will provide space for 45 car parking bays in the future to accommodate the apartments’ conversion.

The report said this would result in a total of 85 residential apartments and 105 residential car parking bays on site.

But the city proposed a condition of approval that the two lower basement levels be removed from the current plans and for the developer to submit revised plans with the change before a building permit is sought.

Mr Lees requested, on behalf of the landowners, panel members delete the condition because the basement levels would not be used or occupied until at least 10 years after occupation.

“It is intended to construct these basement levels now as it is not practical to construct these lower basement levels in the future after the building has been constructed and occupied,” he said.

Mr Lees said the city’s concerns about the basement levels sitting vacant for 10 years could be overcome by conditions of approval to require the levels to be “physically inaccessible” and to require a legal agreement between the landowner and the city.

“For example, you could construct a brick wall at the ramp between basement levels one and two that could then be removed in 10 years’ time,” Mr Lees said.

State planners agreed to delete condition five and create new conditions of approval requesting the landowner prior to occupation, construct a physical barrier at basement levels two and three and enter into a legal agreement with the city that access be restricted at the two basement levels.

“I think this is a fairly unique case where the applicant is trying to achieve flexibility in the design such as they can convert it without extraordinary costs associated with retrofitting basement parking,” deputy presiding JDAP member Jarrod Ross said.

“I think this is a reasonable proposal, subject to a well-worded condition and legal agreement.”

Any future use of the serviced apartments is subject to planning approval at the time of the proposed change.

A residential neighbour to the site Heather Lynch asked why the developer planned to convert the serviced apartments into residential after 10 years.

“There is enough short-term available, especially with the new buildings happening at Elizabeth Quay,” she said.

“Having it all as residential from the start would lessen the need and disturbance of services.”

The site is currently vacant, with the dwellings previously at 52-56 Bennett Street demolished in 2003 and the dwelling at 7 Forrest Avenue demolished in 2021.