Heritage Victoria has rejected the proposed $1 billion Malt District project which was lodged with the City of Yarra late last year, in part because the development could have a negative impact on views of the heritage-listed Nylex Clock.
The Fender Katsalidis Architects project in Cremorne would have delivered around 1,000 apartments on a 1.4-hectare site and restored the iconic Nylex Clock, which has been switched off since 2007.
The project would also have involved the demolition of concrete silos, which are linked to the site’s history as a brewery and malt storage site.
Heritage Victoria’s reasons for rejecting the project include:
- The project’s high yield nature, the “very little positive heritage outcomes” and only minor conservation works
- The scale, form and massing of the project could visually dominate the site in contrast to its industrial heritage presentation
- The overall form and height of the tower could adversely affect the low scale industrial setting
- The development could have negative impacts on some significant views to the heritage-listed Nylex Clock.
The project would have featured buildings between three and 21 levels, 6,000 square metres of commercial space for retail and other services, 1,000 car parks, storage for 1,000 bicycles and a publicly accessible rooftop area next to the Nylex Clock.
According to The Age, the project developer Caydon will appeal Heritage Victoria’s decision.
