3 December 2019

Morris Property Group lodges plans for $133m Stuart Flats redevelopment

| Ian Bushnell
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Stuart Flats redevelopment

The development aims to reflect the Inner South’s architectural heritage. Images: Supplied.

Morris Property Group has lodged plans for all three stages of its $133.6 million redevelopment of the former Stuart Flats site in Griffith into an integrated multi-unit residential complex of 412 units.

MPG bought three of the four blocks (Blocks 23 and 24 Section 39, and Block 6 Section 39) that comprised the Stuart Flats and plans a three-stage development with three levels of basement parking.

Lodged in three separate development applications, plans for Stage 1 are for 100 units costing $28.6 million; Stage 2 includes 282 units across six buildings, as well as a 90-100-place childcare centre and a medical centre ($92.9 million); and Stage 3 comprises 30 units ($12.0 million).

The DA, prepared by Elton Consulting, says the proposed development has strong integration with the surrounding public realm including improved access between the Light Street Park and the Manuka Group Centre.

It says the project is informed by the area’s geographic character and architectural heritage, including the use of building materials and fabric that reflect the local design context, such as references to the ‘Canberra red’ bricks.

The site the Stuart Flats redevelopment

The site the Stuart Flats redevelopment.

The proposed development has strong integration with the surrounding public realm including improved access between the Light Street Park and the Manuka Group Centre, and shared lobbies in each buildings and gates to private courtyards provide pedestrian access at street level.

Dwellings are generally larger than typical apartments in the surrounding area with well-proportioned balconies and terraces and a high proportion of apartments with three or more bedrooms.

The two non-residential uses are located on Block 24, with the four-practitioner health facility on the ground floor of the northern-most building, fronting Captain Cook Crescent, and the childcare centre towards the south.

The DA says the childcare centre has direct ground floor access from Light Street on the eastern boundary of the block. An outdoor play area is located within the central landscaped area.

It says the three sites have been designed as a precinct, with consistent architectural features and finishes.

“Buildings are arranged to maximise street frontages, existing trees to be retained, views to Light Street Park, and solar access,” it says.

The proposed six-storey building on Block 23 fronts Light Street but appears as seven-storeys from the rear due to the slope.

North-west perspective

North-west perspective. Dwellings are generally larger than typical apartments in the surrounding area.

The lower ground floor contains the first level of basement parking and does not include any habitable space.

Block 24 contains five individual buildings of varying heights, the largest of which occupies the southern portion of the site and has frontages to the Captain Cook Crescent, Stuart Street and Light Street.

The four remaining smaller buildings are located along the eastern and western boundaries of the site, fronting Light Street and Captain Cook Crescent.

The development includes 759 car parking spaces, including those for for the childcare and medical centres plus about 60 kerbside spaces, in excess of the 717 required, according to the traffic report. There will be storage spaces for 459 bicycles, as well as four spaces each at the medical centre and child care centre.

It will be accessed primarily off Captain Cook Crescent with two driveways on Block 24. Block 23 and Block 6 will have two separate access points from Light Street.

Waste vehicles will have a separate access point to Block 24 from Light Street where there would be one collection point for both residential and commercial uses from Block 23 and Block 24. Kerbside waste collection is proposed for Block 6.

Traffic generated would be 372 vehicles in the peak morning period and 364 in the afternoon peak, 58 and 50 respectively for the child care centre and 46 each for the medical centre.

The company hopes to begin construction on Stage 1 in February, for an 18-month build.

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Coincidentally At the same time, the ACT Government lodges a $133 dollar plan to upgrade the ash tray facilities for the outer Tuggeranong Houso’s that used to live in Griffith but were shipped out to the burbs.
Just when did Labor forget about its social welfare roots and start focusing on shiny facilities and toys for the key Ministers electorate and on making property developers wealthy?

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