West Melbourne Waterfront Masterplan Gets Nod

A sprawling mixed-use project along the Maribyrnong River is set to start construction in 2021 after being green-lit by the City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Committee on Tuesday night.

WMW Developments is the team behind the waterfront project, a venture between family-owned group Perri Projects and Qanstruct.

Developer Perri Projects confirmed it would commence construction on the $600 million West Melbourne Waterfront project next year following the unanimous approval.

Construction will span four stages across the 3.1-hectare site located at 156-232 Kensington Road.

The West Melbourne project is described as “a mixed-use urban renewal precinct”, comprising 600 residential dwellings, a retail centre and a boutique hotel, with operator yet to be announced.

Perri Projects director David Scalzo said the project would be at the centre of council’s vision for the underdeveloped CBD fringe suburb.

“As a business and as Victorians, we are proud this landmark project will create an employment hub and contribute to Melbourne’s post-pandemic recovery, creating some 500 jobs over the next five years through the design and construction phases alone,” Scalzo said.

Home to an industrial area, the site occupies five parcels of land.

The Scalzo Group owns and occupies the land at 156-184 Kensington Road, which is currently occupied by the head office of Scalzo Foods, as well as a warehousing and manufacturing facility.

While privately-owned commercial construction company Qanstruct owns the land at 196-232 Kensington Road.

Designed by Foster and Partners and Fender Katsalidis, the proposal includes seven buildings, with construction of the first stage focusing on major retail, accommodation and employment, “encouraging people to work and reside within the precinct”, the architects' say.

The first stage is set for completion at the end of 2023, with progressive stages planned to be completed by 2026.

Planning documents say the precinct includes 230 metres of land frontage along the east bank of the Maribyrnong River, and 11,800sq m of outdoor recreation space designed by Oculus.

The proposal was approved at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting, chaired by lord mayor Sally Capp, after winning support from the City of Melbourne.

The development application for the project was lodged in March 2019.

Perri Projects last year won approval for a 20-storey commercial tower at 17 Bennetts Lane in Melbourne CBD.

The CBD project is a collaboration with Pellicano, after Perri Projects picked up the site for $26.1 million in 2017.