- Major East Perth project receives development approval from DevelopmentWA
- $400 million project to deliver 742 new apartments, including 100 social/affordable dwellings
- The project is the largest single build-to-rent development in Western Australia
- New precinct to include a microbrewery, supermarket, cafés, commercial offices, art gallery and yoga studio space
The State Government’s land agency DevelopmentWA has approved a $400 million revitalisation of the historic former Perth Girls School which is set to breathe new life into East Perth.
The Australian Development Capital led project will deliver 742 new apartments, including 242 build-to-sell apartments constructed across two 25-storey towers.
The remaining 500 apartments will be build-to-rent, delivered in a 15 to 37-storey development.
The project will be the largest build-to-rent development in the State and will include a significant number of affordable apartments, as well as 100 social housing apartments, and a range of Special Disability Accommodation apartments.
The new precinct will also include the refurbishment of the State heritage-listed school building into a creative mixed-use space.
This space will include a microbrewery, restaurants and cafés, creative industry offices, art gallery and performance spaces managed by not-for-profit ARTRAGE Inc who have run Fringe World and other events from the venue over the past three years.
Other amenities will also include a 2,948 square metre supermarket and other commercial spaces.
The revitalisation of one of Perth’s most iconic sites will showcase best practice urban design, breathing life into the iconic site creating a distinctive and vibrant local hub for multi-generational living.
Located on the corner of Wellington and Bronte Streets, the future development will capitalise on its enviable hilltop position through a clever stepped design, providing future residents with sweeping views across the Swan River, the city, Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium.
The new development’s design will recognise and celebrate the site’s rich and important Aboriginal and European cultural history and encourage more people, activity, and diversity to East Perth.
To prepare the northern site for development the State Government led an initiative to exhume more than 360 graves from a burial site that was a part of the East Perth cemetery.
The project will be one of the first to benefit from the Government’s new 50 per cent land tax concession for new build-to-rent developments, a reform put in place by the McGowan Government to encourage the new building model in Western Australia.
As stated by Lands Minister John Carey:
“This is a fantastic redevelopment project that preserves some of the great aspects of the historic former Girls School, while delivering an injection of new social and affordable rentals, and providing a new cultural hub that will attract people from across Perth.
“As part of the State Government’s commitment to building more social and affordable housing, my hope is this iconic development will act as a blueprint for industry to deliver more affordable housing through clever and sustainable urban revitalisation.
“The introduction of a build-to-rent housing model is a smart way of alleviating pressure on both private and social rental sectors whilst providing a viable solution to the housing affordability and supply equation.
“Perth is now starting to embrace build-to-rent living, and this project is the largest of its kind in WA to date, which will be a huge shot in the arm for this sector.
“Mixing build-to-rent, social housing and affordable housing together in a well-designed, planned way is exactly what’s needed to create lively, sustainable and diverse communities.
“We want to see more build-to-rent in Western Australia, which is why we introduced a new 50 per cent land tax concession in the most recent State Budget for projects that deliver this new residential housing model. This redevelopment of the former Perth Girls School will be one of the first to benefit from that new tax concession.
“The $400 million development is expected to deliver 300 jobs during the construction phase, and 150 jobs onsite jobs upon completion.”
