The Victorian government has approved another round of major projects as part of its push to fast-track planning approvals to boost the economy.
Planning minister Richard Wynne announced approvals for projects worth a total of $625 million across metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria. Most of the projects are office buildings.
At 462-482 Swan Street in Richmond, a $130 million, 13-storey office building designed by Architectus will be built. In planning documents, Architectus states that the building’s design draws on the high street facade typology prevalent along Swan Street. “The layered hierarchy of detail sets a legible rhythm along the street with the interplay of depth diluting the mass of the large street wall frontage,” state the architects.
36-52 Wellington Street by Jackson Clements Burrows.
In Collingwood, a 15-storey, 5-green star commercial development designed by Jackson Clements Burrows has been approved. Costing $85 million, the 36-52 Wellington Street building responds to the industrial context.
“Referencing surrounding warehouse building typologies, a rhythmic and visually cohesive brick facade to the ground and podium levels and upper levels to the east,” state the architects in planning documents.
And in Frankston, a $116 million, 8-storey office building will be built at Bayside Shopping Centre, 12 Balmoral Walk. To be known as the Balmoral Building, it is designed by Lyons with landscape architect Openwork. Planning documents describe an “urban, porous, and site-specific ground plane” that will become an “exemplar for future privately owned public spaces in the city.”
The other projects approved include a $24.2 million mixed-use development at 69-75 Mortlake Road, Warrnambool; two four-storey apartment complexes including 53 social housing units in Reservoir valued at $74 million; and a 72-megawatt solar farm on Wangaratta-Kilfeera Road in Laceby, valued at $93 million.
“We know how important the building and development sector is to our economic recovery and we’re continuing to support the industry with a pipeline of shovel ready projects,” said Wynne.
