17 June 2019

Phil Domazet to develop former Lyons public housing site into apartments

| Ian Bushnell
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The fenced-off site of the former Strathgordon Court public housing in Lyons. It awaits demolition to be reborn as a modern residential development. Photos: George Tsotsos.

The mystery buyer who paid $16.4 million for the site of the former Strathgordon Court public housing complex in Lyons has been revealed to be low-key developer Phil Domazet.

A cousin of the Domazets behind the high-profile Doma Group, Phil Domazet is described as an under-the-radar operator who has been in the Canberra development game for 40 to 50 years.

The Suburban Land Agency’s over-the-counter sale to AJP Projects in May was settled recently and the 23,289 square metre block on Melrose Drive will be turned into new apartments after being cleared. The maximum number of dwellings allowed on the Lyons property is 492, with 70 required to be ‘affordable’.

Phil Domazet has been revealed as the mystery buyer of the site.

The only details at the time of the sale was the company name, registered in Phillip, and the purchase price. The Lyons property was the only one of six public housing sites up for auction on 20 March that was passed in.

It is believed the underbidder on the day was another Domazet, Jure, whose Doma Group is redeveloping the Alexander and Albemarle buildings into apartments in the nearby Woden Town Centre.

Phil Domazet has no relationship with Doma and usually builds one project at a time but has been quiet in recent times. He has been involved in developments at Mawson and by the lake at Belconnen, and generally holds a fair proportion of units as rentals.

It is believed Cox Architecture has designed the new Lyons development and a development application is imminent.

Zoned RZ5 High Density residential, the site on Melrose Drive was marketed as a coveted position next to the Woden Town Centre.

 

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