Plans lodged for 12-storey office building on Northbourne Avenue

Plans for the first stage of a large commercial precinct bordered by Northbourne Avenue and Mort Street have been lodged with the ACT government.

Amalgamated Property Group’s development application outlines plans to replace a previously approved $300 million redevelopment of the site next to Veterans Park.

Stage one of Civic Quarter, formerly known as Northbourne Square, is a 12-storey, 18,000-square metre tower adjacent to the light rail route. 

The building will include a foyer, as well as retail and commercial space on the ground floor, 11 levels of commercial office space and three levels of basement car parking.

APG general manager Phil O’Brien said the development would set a new standard for Canberra office accommodation.

“Civic Quarter will be the new gateway to the CBD in Canberra, and as such we understand the importance of creating a landmark building that incorporates an elegant and timeless urban design which will meet the workplace needs of the future,” Mr O’Brien said.

“This will be Canberra’s premier office building.”

The development is being designed by Cox Architecture and May + Russell Architects.

If approved, the project will replace five separate commercial buildings bordered by Northbourne Avenue and Cooyong, Bunda and Mort streets. 

According to the DA, the block will be transformed into “a vibrant mixed-use city centre precinct that will ultimately comprise multiple (two, three or more) multi-storey buildings across two sites”.

Applications to redevelop the site were approved in 2010 and 2014.

Stockland originally had plans for a $200 million project comprising two office and retail towers of nine and 12 storeys.

The company scrapped the approved plans following a dispute with the ACT government over the change-of-use charge and sold the land to the Walker Corporation in 2011.

The ACT Planning and Land Authority approved the Walker Corporation’s DA for three 11-storey buildings in February, 2014.

Demolition was set to commence once a tenant was secured for the development and completion was originally anticipated for the 2017-2018 financial year.

APG purchased the site for $34 million from Walker Corporation in March.

The developer’s previous projects include Tuggeranong’s Louisa Lawson Building, which houses the Department of Human Services and was sold to Korean investors for $225 million last December.

The city building will be available for lease through Colliers International. Development is expected to commence in early to mid-2017, with completion anticipated for mid-2019.