Boomers seeking mid-city upmarket high rise living options
MELBOURNE: Boomers are seeking downtown upscale high rise living options said a property analyst.
A spectacular curved pool and garden 18 storeys above Vulture St is the centrepiece of a three-tower unit project at Kangaroo Point.
The so-called sky bridge would stretch across a vertiginous gap between two of the towers, with one of the two pools glass-bottomed, giving swimmers a stunning view to a “sky park’’ 13 levels below.
The bold feature, billed as Brisbane’s biggest ever sky bridge, which would be visible from the CBD, has been proposed by Arden Group as part of its Trilogy project at 352 Vulture St.
Arden took over the site from Zenonos Group, which had approvals dating to 2016 for a much more modest development.
The project, designed by Altis Architecture, is the latest in a string of highrises with slick rooftop pools, bars and open spaces as their main selling point.
It also comes after both Labor and LNP councillors, in a rare show of unity, voted to change planning rules to no longer count such rooftop areas as a “storey’’.
Under current rules, any roofed structure on an apartment building rooftop is considered a storey, so if a developer has planning permission for a certain number of storeys, it is not financially viable to have one as a garden instead of sellable space.
Brisbane City Council planning chair Matthew Bourke said the proposed rooftop garden amendment had been referred to the State Government for an interest review and approval to undertake public consultation.
Following that approval, Mr Bourke said the council hoped to start consultation in mid-2020. He said the changes would not apply to low-density residential environments.
Independent Councillor for Tennyson, Nicole Johnston, and Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri opposed the amendments, saying it favoured only developers.
But Damien Cavallucci, managing director of developer Cavcorp, said such a policy could make lush green “upgardens” the River City’s signature, much like Melbourne’s iconic laneways.
Town planner Mia Hickey, principal of Hickey Oatley Planning & Development, said Brisbane City Council’s lack of action on the issue to date was “definitely hampering the delivery of functional and innovative rooftops”.
“Personally, I love a rooftop garden and would love to see them on top of all mid and high-rise apartment and commercial projects across Brisbane, but professionally, I understand the need for choice,” she said.
The Arden development application (DA) said its design allowed 6088 sqm (114.8% of the site area) to be dedicated as outdoor rooms and open green spaces.
“The proposed development will deliver three of the most iconic buildings in Kangaroo Point,’’ planners Urbis said in the DA documents.
“These buildings will act as a local landmark on the corner of Vulture and Main streets.
“This intersection is one of the busiest intersections in inner-Brisbane and therefore warrants suitably iconic buildings to reflect its highly visible location at this important juncture within the city.”
One-third of the site would be publicly-accessible open space, including a pedestrian link at ground and lower-ground level connecting Vulture and Main Street.
“This is particularly beneficial given the planned increase in pedestrian activity in this locality associated with the new Woolloongabba train station and entertainment precinct on the opposite side of Vulture St,” the DA said.
