Move over Power Stations … Here come some more Apartments !

Going green is all we ever hear these days so it’s nice to see strata doing it’s bit in Melbourne to help.

On the corner of Lonsdale and Spencer Streets in Melbourne there’s an old power station and it’s chimney.  An eyesore and a reminder of less environmentally conscious times, the site has now been acquired by Far East Consortium who propose a large scale residential redevelopment.

Dubbed Upper West Side by the Hong Kong-based developer, it plans for 2500 apartments ranging from studios to one and two-bedroom apartments in 4 towers of between 31 and 50 storeys and a low-rise building. The development will also have up to 60 retail spaces.

The site houses a heritage-listed cast-iron water tank built in 1889 and the developer has agreed to preserve two other original buildings along the Spencer Street border.

The project is one of the last large-scale city developments awaiting ministerial approval before new planning arrangements announced a few months ago take effect.  Apparently there are applications for CBD developments of more than 25,000 square metres going before a panel comprising government and City of Melbourne representatives, which will in turn advise the minister.

So far an application to build a ''display home/marketing suite'' was issued by the City of Melbourne in February.

So, if you want to live on an old power station head down Lonsdale Street.

Francesco …