NORTH MELBOURNE SITE TAKEN TO NEW HEIGHTS

The owners of a prominent North Melbourne site, for which Planning Minister Matthew Guy in March gave a permit to become a $200 million mixed-use village, have lodged a substitute application exploiting new height limits recently imposed by Planning Panels Victoria. 

United Asia Group’s latest proposal for the former Southern Motors dealership and long-time Carlins Motor Auctions House – seeks to increase the maximum height of approved buildings from 40 to 58 metres.

Approximately 460 flats are now being requested, up from 400. However, the number of car parks earmarked is down to 337 from 344. The Leukaemia Foundation will occupy 1193 square metres of lower level commercial space and 15 apartments.  

The adjoining showrooms at 19-35 Flemington Road and 23-35 Blackwood Street, about a kilometre north of the CBD border, are covered by the City North Structure Plan 2012 that anticipates replacing “under utilised” former industrial properties near the Haymarket roundabout.   

A train station is mooted for the area as part of the proposed nine-kilometre Metro train line connecting South Kensington to South Yarra via the City Square. “The government should be supporting large-scale residential projects at the Carlton end of North Melbourne, given the area’s proximity to the CBD, University of Melbourne, RMIT and various hospitals and research centres,” said Frank Vinci, director of Vinci Carbone.  

His agency has just listed 245 Peel Street, a 340-square metre block at the south-west edge of the Haymarket roundabout with a permit for a six-level apartment complex.   

“Given the site’s prominence and location it should be developed into a spectacular 20-storey building rather than a demure six-level block,’’ Mr Vinci said.