Build-to-RentClare BurnettFri 07 Aug 26
SP Setia Plots 2100-Home PBSA, BtR Project for Carlton Brewery Site
SP Setia has filed plans for a trio of towers on a site once home to Australia’s biggest brewery, in Melbourne’s inner north.
The Malaysian property developer paid $114 million for the 6561sq m parcel last year in what was believed to be the largest development site transaction at Carlton in a decade.
The site is part of the former Carlton United Breweries precinct. The Asahi-owned brewer of Victoria Bitter closed the doors of its Melbourne factory in 1987 after 120 years operating from the site.
It now operates from breweries across the country, including at Abbotsford, about 3.5km west of Carlton.
The SP Setia scheme for 185-195 Queensberry and 46-78 Bouverie streets are now before the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
The publicly-traded developer, founded in 1974 as a construction company, wants to build two highrises of student accommodation and a third of build-to-rent apartments. The prohect would total 2105 units.
The plans include 659 units and 969 beds in the 28-storey tower one—486 studios, 102 two-bedrooms, 5 three-bedroom and 66 four-bedroom apartments.
The 45-storey tower two with 840 units and 1040 beds would comprise 680 studio apartments, 120 two-bedroom units and 40 three-bedroom apartments.
The third tower of 55 storeys would comprise 606 build-to-sell apartments in a mix of 188 studios, 206 one-bedroom, 192 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom units.
Parking for 120 cars and 715 bicycles is also included.
The slender towers, designed by Cox Architecture, would be above a shared podium comprising a below-ground 3684sq m supermarket, 2198sq m of ground-level retail and public areas.
According to the planning report by Urbis, the development would act as the final development puzzle piece for the former CUB site “repairing the urban fabric of the broader precinct”.
Following the closure of the CUB brewery, the neighbourhood has undergone a shift to high-density mixed use development at the gateway to the Hoddle Grid, led by the CUB masterplan which envisions a commercial, entertainment, residential and education precinct.
Currently vacant, the site is surrounded by existing and approved student accommodation including Scape Queensberry and Scape Carlton, as well as a recently approved 17-storey PBSA project at 21-25 Bouverie Street, given the area’s proximity to the University of Melbourne.
SP Setia’s project would be delivered over three stages starting with the podium and tower one, followed by the second PBSA tower and finally tower three.
The Malaysian developer entered the market in 2009 with the acquisition of Fulton Lane as its maiden project.
It is now best known in Australia for high profile high-rise developments, including in recent years a 72-storey La Trobe Street skyscraper and a 40-storey tower on Sydney’s North Shore.
