Victoria’s Planning Minister Richard Wynne has refused to grant a planning permit for a proposed development by Grocon at 85 Spring Street in Melbourne’s CBD.
The proposed 46-storey apartment tower, designed by Denton Corker Marshall (DCM), is situated only metres from the heritage listed Parliament House and Treasury Building. The development, which would contain 300 apartments, was expected to generate more than $300 million in revenue.
The project is the first to be rejected by the Planning Minister since he assumed office in December 2014. The rejection is a rare occurence for the multi-award-winning practice DCM.
The proposed apartment tower at 85 Spring Street was rejected due to its size, inadequate setback and overshadowing concerns.
Image: Grocon
The proposal was reviewed by the City of Melbourne, which recommended against approval for the project when the council referred it to the minister for planning.
The minister echoed the council’s concerns and rejected the proposal on the grounds that it “adversely impacts the public realm.” The minister cited inadequate setbacks, visual bulk, “poor architectural expression” and overshadowing of public space as the main reasons for rejection. The minister also said the proposed development “fails to provide a design that respects and anticipates the development potential of adjacent sites.”
The minister invited Grocon to resubmit the proposal to address the concerns. Grocon is yet to decide if it will challenge the decision in a planning tribunal or revisit the design.
The site is currently occupied by a 16-storey office tower which Grocon acquired in 2013 for $45 million.
