The Western Australian Planning Commission has approved ING Real Estate's controversial $200 million Victoria Quay redevelopment in Fremantle, paving the way for the transformation of the harbour-side locale into a major office and retail hub.
The Western Australian Planning Commission has approved ING Real Estate's controversial $200 million Victoria Quay redevelopment in Fremantle, paving the way for the transformation of the harbour-side locale into a major office, retail and entertainment hub.
ING's plan, which is supported by Fremantle Ports, comprises two six-storey office blocks totaling 14,000 square metres of space and 12,000sq m of retail, restaurant and café space.
The approval is subject to a number of conditions including the construction of two rail crossings, forming part of the Phillimore Street masterplan, and the control of critical aspects of the precinct's commercial operations through the lease from Fremantle Ports.
Where feasible, the WAPC said it had applied principles adopted by the City of Fremantle, including active shopfronts facing the city, redesign of the facades and an open public accessway through the site to the waterfront.
The WAPC approval comes despite the City of Fremantle voting against supporting the plan last month, and a recent council survey revealing 47 per cent of Fremantle residents were opposed to the plan.
The survey raised major concerns in regard to bulk, scale, connectivity, heritage impacts, and architectural character of the proposed development.
WAPC chairman Jeremy Dawkins said it recognised that many people, including experts and the City of Fremantle, believed the project could still be inconsistent with the masterplan.
However, he said the WAPC had received independent expert advice that the proposal now met the objectives and guidelines of the masterplan.
"Over the past three years the proposal has been the subject of intense debate, public meetings, submissions, community consultations and surveys. It has been the subject of separate studies of heritage, retail and traffic impacts, its impact on city views of the harbour and its sustainability values. The proposal has undergone significant reductions in scale and changes in design," Mr Dawkins said.
"This has narrowed the gap between what is proposed and what seems to be acceptable to the city. The Heritage Council, in proposing a reduction in the scale of the buildings (particularly the car park) and an increase in the scale of the public spaces, has further narrowed the gap.
"The limited strategic detail in the planning for Victoria Quay was partly made good by a set of principles for the commercial precinct adopted by the City of Fremantle only late last month."
Mr Dawkins said the WAPC shared the expressed desire of many in the community to see that projects on Victoria Quay, and in Fremantle generally, were innovative, exceptionally well designed and visionary.
"This aspiration cannot also mean, however, that projects which are otherwise positive for the city are not permitted.
"Better outcomes on Victoria Quay are more likely if Fremantle Ports, the City of Fremantle and the WAPC collaboratively develop clearer strategies, more precise guidelines and better planning and assessment processes for the further development that is likely to take place in the near future. All parties have expressed their willingness to do so."
ING has indicated it will spend about $12 million on restoration and re-use of heritage buildings at Victoria Quay including the old police station, immigration building and C-Shed.
Construction is expected to begin in mid-2008, with the projects scheduled for completion by 2010.
