The City of Prospect’s “Strategic Plan to 2020” is a simple and effective expression of Council’s ambitions. These ambitions include a stronger local economy and a more vibrant night-time.
An important target within the Strategic Plan is a 100% increase in the value of completed development on corridors year-on-year. This is supported by allied targets of footfall in the Village Heart increased by 100% year-on-year, as well 100% increase in footfall after 5pm in the Village Heart year-on-year.
The approval of a four storey building containing ground level commercial tenancies and 32 apartments above at 137-141 Prospect Road is another step closer to realising Council’s ambitions.
We have spoken before about the design advantages that allotment amalgamation brings. In this instance developer Matthew Cooper, Proske Architects and URPS deliver a 4 storey building where there is a 3 storey height guideline. This is because:
- The width of the building “creates a linear corridor that frames the main road” as anticipated in the Desired Character for the Urban Corridor Zone.
- The fourth storey is comfortably setback from the building edge and property boundaries so that very little of it will be visible from surrounding land. The building is also contained within a 45o envelope projecting inward from 3m above the zone boundary.
- The car park is excavated into the ground, reducing the building’s height above natural ground toward the rear boundary with established houses.
The resultant additional development yield helps to execute Council’s strategy for 2020 to an even greater extent.
The image of this development above also shows how we’re satisfying another import Council objective – “A city recognised for high quality and interesting design and built form”.