Creating an iconic tourism-oriented development in the beachside suburb is just the beginning for 3 Oceans Property.
Creating an iconic tourism-oriented development in the beachside suburb is just the beginning for 3 Oceans Property.
The gravity of proposing a beachside high-rise development in Perth is certainly not lost on 3 Oceans Property managing director Dyno Zhang.
Rather than being daunted, however, Mr Zhang says his company’s $400 million plan for Scarborough is the first step in changing the public’s perception of coastal development, as well as the widely accepted notion of ‘greedy developers’.
The two-tower proposal, at the old Contacio nightclub site on Scarborough Beach Road, has stirred debate in Perth since it was unveiled earlier this month, but Mr Zhang is confident he can bring the community along with the project.
“The Scarborough project is more than a project, and 3 Oceans is more than a developer,” Mr Zhang told Business News.
“We are really trying to make a huge difference and give Scarborough a big facelift.
“What we are trying to do is set the benchmark for future developments, not only in quality but also the level of involvement and the level of community benefits.”
Those benefits include 4,000 square metres of commercial space, likely to become small bars, restaurants, cafes and boutique retail, while the project will also give the public better access to the beach, with up to 400 car-parking bays included in the plans.
Featuring a three-level observation deck, the rooftop of the Hillam Architects-designed project is marked as a future tourist attraction, while a beachside convention facility will also provide a business and events tourism boost.
Mr Zhang said the developer had liaised closely with the community in coming up with its proposal for the site, which includes a 180-room hotel and up to 400 apartments.
“The problems we have addressed here didn’t come from my head or my team’s head, it is all local people’s opinions,” he said.
“It’s something they’ve wanted for 20 years, so finally we are here to solve a problem.
“With any development you have the planning risk, design risk, delivery risk and sales risk.
“In this particular project, the only risk is the community approval, or planning risk.
“If we get that ticked, it will go ahead.”
And if there was any doubt 3 Oceans was creating its Scarborough project for the surrounding community, Mr Zhang said that would be erased through a marketing campaign aimed squarely at local buyers.
“We are not interested in selling this project overseas,” he said.
“I assume 95 per cent will be local buyers – that’s why we care so much about local people’s input.
“If we can’t design something they would like to live in, the project will fail.”
While many developers would not take on such a big challenge for their first project, 3 Oceans, which also owns the 3 Oceans Wine Company near Cowaramup, is not a typical developer.
Mr Zhang said while the Scarborough site was the first development under the 3 Oceans banner, he had been active in joint ventures with some of Perth’s most prominent apartment developers during the past 10 years.
However, Mr Zhang said he realised over time that there was something missing in Perth’s apartments offering.
“We couldn’t find any apartments or developments that we would like to buy or live in, that’s why we’ve stepped out to do our own things,” he said.
“This is my hometown now – I came here with my family and two baby girls and I want to be very proud that I can introduce Perth to my friends as a destination.
“But before we can do that, we need to have something to offer them.”
Alongside 3 Oceans’ prior Perth experience, the company also has a long track record of project delivery in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, creating more than 500,000sqm in developments each year for the past decade.
That financial clout will allow 3 Oceans to begin construction at Scarborough without having to meet any presales requirements, Mr Zhang said.
It is expected a development application will be lodged later this year and, pending relevant approvals, Mr Zhang said he believed the development could be completed within two and half years.
However, Scarborough is not the only suburb in 3 Oceans’ sites.
Mr Zhang said plans were also being formulated for a significant development on a 3-hectare parcel of land in North Fremantle.
“So far we have over 1,500 units in our pipeline,” he said.
“We want to work closely with the local government and the state government and deliver a series of high-quality, community-engaging, friendly projects in the near future.”
