Tenders open for old Northbourne Flats site

A tender process has opened for the redevelopment of two of the ACT government’s key Northbourne Avenue sites.

Previously home to the government-owned Northbourne Flats, the combined 38,979 square metre site straddles across the suburb boundary of Braddon and Turner.

The ACT government’s City Renewal Authority announced the process for the sites on Tuesday.

“Braddon and Turner on Northbourne are very important sites in the renewal of our city precinct and we want to see designs that reflect their importance to Canberra,” said City Renewal Authority chief executive Malcolm Snow.

“The two sites are being released as a package because they need an integrated design that unites the two sites as a cohesive precinct that welcomes people to the heart of the city.”

The tender process will be managed by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Land Canberra and Colliers International.

“Using a tender process allows us to judge proposals based on design and build quality as well as price,” said Mr Snow.

“This method also makes it easier for national and multinational companies to prepare bids, ensuring we give ourselves every opportunity to receive the best proposals.”

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Government architect, Catherine Townsend, will assist in providing technical services to the tender evaluation team to ensure a high quality of design in the proposal.

There’s a maximum of 886 dwellings for the mixed-use site. A City Renewal Authority spokesperson said there will be no mandated requirement for affordable housing under the government’s Affordable Housing Action Plan.

The successful tender will be required to work with the City Renewal Authority and the National Capital Design Review Panel prior to submitting a development application

This is not the first time the ACT government has called for proposals for the sites. In 2011, it held a national design competition where architects were asked to submit ideas for its redevelopment.

The winning design, Weave, by Melbourne-based firm John Wardle Architects, proposed to more than triple the number of dwellings. However, since 2012 the planning strategy for the city and Northbourne Avenue has progressed with the addition of the City and Gateway Draft Urban Design Framework.

Tenders for the sites must incorporate elements of the Weave design but John Wardle Architects are not attached to the current project.

The existing public housing has been vacated and demolition is set to begin in the coming months.

Tenders for the sites must be submitted electronically to Tenders ACT. Tenders close on October 4, 2018, at 2pm.