By Kate Lockyer
Teneriffe’s Industrial Riverside Sands site is to be transformed into a residential, retail, public open space, community hub and hotel precinct under plans being prepared by Kokoda Property.
President of the Teneriffe Progress Association Ben Pritchard said development of this prominent site is welcome, but not at any cost.
“The development of this site will be the centrepiece of the riverfront and we urge the new owners of the site to make it the gemstone in the crown that is the waterfront of Teneriffe, Newstead and New Farm,” Mr Pritchard said.
“The Teneriffe Progress Association does not want to see more than thirty years of dedicated work by our forebears undone and the world class heritage of the Teneriffe Woolstores despoiled.
“This site is an integral part of Teneriffe. It is not Newstead… The height of any new building must be informed by the Woolstores and the mass of new buildings should be subservient to them also.
“The delivery of a few hundred high priced riverfront apartments is not going to satisfy the city’s new housing target, however, and I reject any suggestion that it will.
“We want to see the development of this site respect the heritage of Teneriffe and enhance the suburb’s sense of place and liveability.
Member for McConnel, Grace Grace MP, agreed the development should respect the character created by the neighbourhood plan.
“I believe that all neighbourhood plans should be respected and that and that full community consultation should be conducted if this is not the case,” Ms Grace said.
The 17,612 sqm site of a sand and gravel business for the past fifty years has more than 220m river frontage and was sold to Kokoda Property in May this year for upwards of $100m.
Kokoda Property announced that a large riverside plaza and laneways through the site will create a public place with retail spaces, cafes, and restaurants.
Three buildings, incorporating apartments and a hotel, will reduce in scale from the north of the site to the south, with the smallest building adjacent to Commercial Road.
The hotel, of about 150 rooms, will make up half of the tallest building, nearest to the neighbouring transmission lines.
Kokoda Property also said the precinct will be “similar in height and density to nearby developments” and will provide about 380 “high quality” residences targeting owner occupiers.
They also plan to build 20 to 25 boutique offices and a new Community Centre.
An extended riverwalk was announced and new laneways will provide links through the site to the ferry terminal, CityGlider bus stop, and from the riverwalk to Skyring Terrace.
After viewing the initial plans, Mr Pritchard said: “The developer is doing a lot of the right things; it’s a big site so it’s a big scheme and challenge for the developer.”
“The drawings show 50 per cent of the site given over to new public space – they are trying hard which is good.”
He said a new public street to be called Wool Lane which connects from the end of Commercial Road to Skyring Terrace is “a good new addition to the public realm”, as is the new Community Centre.
Mr Pritchard said the continued riverwalk and connections through the site linking with Teneriffe streets are mandatory to be able to complete the pattern of connections established in the initial plan for the Urban Renewal precinct.
He is also pleased that Kokoda has promised public spaces would be developed in Stage 1 of the development but said “it’s important we do hold them to that”.
He said the upcoming community information sessions on September 7 are “a good opportunity to be actively involved in shaping our community”.
Central Ward Councillor Vicki Howard said she will insist that the proposal improves public space.
“A previous approval for this site in 2015 conditioned arcades to the river, publicly accessible areas and a new river promenade and I think we should insist on these elements for any future proposals,” Cr Howard said.
“Any proposal simply must improve the public space and the lifestyle and leisure offerings for residents and visitors to the area,” she said.
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Photo caption: Plans for the former Riverside Industrial Sands site proposed by Kokoda Property
