Northbourne Ave slums... demolish or preserve?

Knock me down. They’re incredibly inefficient in all ways. There aren’t that many flats on a piece of land that could support 3 times the number of tenants. All that open space for residents who spend most days getting high on the couch playing x-box.

I have nothing against the look of the flats, for they could be given a more imaginative paint job than beige and they would look so different. Then gardens around them and they would ‘sparkle’. (This is a fault with the present tenants too, because what an opportunity they are missing. Where are their gardens!? A different selection of tenants in such an important location might have made a difference.) The change in looks wouldn’t improve their energy efficiency though, but they could be better insulated. However they are underutilising a lot of land along a transport corridor. I do wonder with a little imagination if they could be incorporated into a new development? Just a thought, as no doubt it would be cheaper and easier to demolish and rebuild from scratch. Then they could be more energy efficient. However this is an entrance into Canberra and it would be nice to see the best of architect here.

Knock down an rebuild.
Move the existing tenants to newer, more energy efficient housing further out where the rates / land taxes are lower.

The ACT Govt can get a one-off windfall from the sale of the land, plus ongoing rates and land taxes from owners and investors in this prime corridor.

Seems like a no-brainer.

Considering todays news story on the flats, almost anything would be better
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/rats-sewage-and-faulty-heating-welcome-to-the-northbourne-flats-20140626-zsm86.html

I’m for demolish too – providing that the nice, new, modern architecture ones are better visibly. But, as u drive around the redeveloped/newer areas of Canberra, you have to wonder…….

Demolish

Demolish

The so-called “heritage arguments” for preserving the Northbourne Flats are stupid. I can remember similar nonsense being spouted when the notorious Burnie Court in Lyons was muted for redevelopment. “1970s Group Housing Architecture” they called it. Drive past the area now. An aesthetically pleasing apartment building containing both private and community housing making it virtually slumproof. Sometimes progress and the welfare of the community must take precedence over backward-looking “heritage” nonsense.

bd84 said :

Take a picture of them for history and then demolish them all. An eyesore in disrepair and community need should outrank any perceived historical value.

Any new development can contain a small number of units reserved for public housing. This will reduce the concentration of public housing tenants in these locations.

Spot on. Keep records and pictures, redevelop for profit, and use some of this money to provide improved public housing and related services.

Grail said :

As for the “white elephant trams”: the redevelopment of the ABC flats into high end apartments is part of the entire tram plan. I guess you haven’t been following the issue, and only comment about it because your Liberal Party masters tell you to?

So are you saying that it’s the government’s responsibility to create the demand for the tram instead of constructing the tram to meet an existing infrastructure need? Why wouldn’t you use the money on something more pressing and build the tram after the demand actually exists?

Seems like the white elephant call sounds just about right then.