18 November 2022

Proposed five-storey apartment block at Kippax Centre jumps dwellings limit

| Ian Bushnell
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Holt apartments at Kippax Centre

An artist’s impression of the proposed Holt apartments at the Kippax Centre. Photo: Kasparek Architects.

A developer plans to build a five-storey apartment block with more than twice the number of dwellings currently allowed on the site next to the Kippax Fair shopping centre.

A company called GVD Land Company 2 Pty Ltd bought the 2751 square metre site (Block 5 Section 53) in Holt in June for $4,025,000. At present it is a surface carpark.

Now it has unveiled plans for the mixed-use apartment block that will contain 76 dwellings, despite the lease only allowing a maximum of 30.

Canberra Town Planning is handling public consultation for the project, designed by Kasparek Architects, ahead of a development application.

The project website said five of the 76 dwellings would be reserved for affordable housing, and the ground floor would offer commercial tenancies – either retail or amenity for residents.

READ ALSO Catholic school fees to rise 7 per cent in 2023

It said the residential development, bound by Hardwick Crescent and Kippax Place across from the RFBI Holt Masonic Village, would have good access to facilities and services for the future residents including on-road cycling routes and community routes.

“The proposed development has been designed to incorporate attractive, safe and well-lit and connected pedestrian footpaths with crime prevention principles in mind,” the website said.

“The proposed development is accessible and permeable for future residents allowing residents to access all of the site’s frontages.”

It said 70 per cent of apartments would receive not less than three hours of direct sunlight between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm on the winter solstice (21 June), as per the Multi-unit Housing Development Code.

Privacy would be achieved through screening to all balconies, restricting the direct line of sight onto adjacent dwellings.

“The proposed development has been architecturally designed to deliver a high standard of residential amenity and provide a cohesive relationship with the neighbourhood,” the website said.

Holt apartments at Kippax Centre

A side view of the proposed development.

The plans show two levels of basement parking providing 129 spaces, including 10 adaptive and two for visitors, with ramp access from Kippax Place.

The Suburban Land Agency said when selling the land that it was seeking visionary developers to help shape a new future for Holt and the Kippax Group Centre, which was earmarked for a transformative redevelopment in the 2019 Kippax Group Centre Masterplan, including expansion of the centre across part of the Holt playing fields.

READ ALSO Nine-storey apartment block for key Northbourne corner

Variation 361 to the Territory Plan added about 16,000 square metres from the playing fields to the core commercial zone to accommodate expansion of the shops, and increased the amount of land for community facilities.

The master plan also allowed for mixed use and residential development up to six storeys.

The land was also sold for all-electric development that included charging points for electric vehicles.

A virtual information drop-in session will be held on 24 November from 5 pm to 6 pm.

To learn more visit the project website.

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Gordon Williamson6:00 pm 09 Nov 23

So the fences that were erected last year have been taken down. Is there any update as to what is happening on the land?

William Newby6:59 am 22 Nov 22

Will be a dump, in fact if it was built at Mugga Lane it would be a million times nicer!
So over crowded, one third of the apts will never see the light of day, and I’d assume there will be 76 dwellings and only 76 car parking spaces, the other 50 or so cars will just park on the road as is the trend for all developments these days.
What a legacy for these twin planners, in year to come they will be able to proudly boast they played a role in turning the ACT into a city full of mini ghettos.

Can’t see the service station

what they’re not showing is that it’s right next to a service station!

Don’t be fooled by the green background in the artist’s impression. The proposed building goes right to the edges of the block although they will probably plant a few poor trees which will struggle to survive. These developments should be obliged to provide a certain amount of green space within their own footprint. I found the plan impossible to read and I wonder if there is any electric vehicle recharging options in the car park.

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