A 10-storey tower will furnish the Werribee skyline thanks to a public-private partnership between Wyndham council and the Burbank Group.
The $47 million high-rise development, comprising 100 apartments at 59 Comben Drive, will replace a Wyndham council-owned public car park overlooking the Werribee River.
The development is part of a push to add diversity to housing in Melbourne’s comparatively affordable western suburbs’ housing market.
Local council has ramped up efforts to transform Werribee, roughly 35 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, into an “urban growth hub.”
The development has been earmarked as a catalyst site for Werribee driving gentrification of the area with $250 million in works projected to take place over the coming years.
Related reading: Heritage Victoria Fights to Immortalise Melbourne’s Festival Hall
Werribee is at the heart of one of Melbourne’s fast-growing corridors, as leading tech giants have pegged East Werribee as a $30 billion “super city”.
Promoted as a Silicon Valley-like plan, the “super city” would create 100,000 jobs in Melbourne’s growing west. A $1.3 billion rail loop and driverless train to connect the tech hub has also been proposed.
The Wyndham City council signed agreements in 2016 with private players Burbank Group and Pelligra to develop the Riverbend, Cherry Street and Gateway sites, with plans to further boost employment and improve the suburb’s activity centre.
Related reading: Gurner Sues Victorian Planning Minister Over Halted Project
Burbank Group developments general manager Neil Anderson says Werribee is a rapidly growing and evolving city.
“The introduction of premium residential precincts like RiverEdge support the urban regeneration of the region and will help transform the Werribee City Centre into the capital of Melbourne’s west,” Anderson said.
Another approved 10-storey tower in Werribee, with construction yet to begin, will include a mix of apartments and commercial offices.
Apartments at RiverEdge will go on sale this month, with construction expected to start mid next year and be completed in 2020.
