Vision, Cairns
Description:
Live luxuriously on the Cairns Esplanade. The dress circle site for Vision, located slightly away from the hustle and bustle of the Cairns Esplanade, demanded a visionary approach from its designers. The linear shape of the site, its 2 street frontage and Esplanade orientation have provided the designers with the opportunity to build the most eye catching apartments. Vision explores new parameters for luxurious CBD living.

It is quite simply an architectural work of art. The building gracefully meanders from its Esplanade frontage to its Abbott Street entrance with generous 2 and 3 bedroom apartments.

Vision provides the contemporary relaxed surroundings of modern city lifestyle. Step directly outside onto the award winning Esplanade and experience the stimulating living experience found only within Cairns. Take a dip in the stunning Lagoon pool, stroll to the Marina or dine at the selection of alfresco restaurants, cafés and bars. Take in an exhibition, a film or comb the many stores in Cairns for a truly ultimate shopping experience.

Render:

http://i31.tinypic.com/2akhizb.jpg

^Very long but not so tall.

Construction Update:

http://i31.tinypic.com/amxqhz.jpg

^Curtosy from my mate in Townsville's sister city Cairns.

Looks as if they have changed the design on this one look at the picture compared to the render everything is straight and pokes out the one getting built is curvey and has round pillars also Townsvilleians its the T1 crane apparently :).

^^ Um, i think that it still looks very much the same as the render in terms of shape, its only just the different angles that both the render and picture are set gives it that feel. I can't see any straight line in that render other than those going vertical, the balconies are curved.

In regards to the crane, this one has been up since January 2007, i have the pictures to prove this as well, and the fact that it is orange too (But of course they could always give it a paint between now and then) seems to suggest that it is not. So unfortunetely, this isn't the T1 crane.

Ok ok I was just posting what I got told.

Yes we had in the paper that your T1 crane got taken back up here and I heard that it might of been this one. Obviously not the case.

To mark the start of construction on T1, I've started a thread in the main forum - T1 - Townsville's boom begins! (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=287683). Although that might be a bit optimistic, more like Townsville's boom ends :)

I posted this in the crane thread, I'll chuck it in here as well.
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/944/1005257s3hu.jpg

That was the T1 crane. Now it's not the vision crane or the Citi Central crane. Could it the Centrepoint crane with a paint job? Either that or it's not in Cairns anymore or is hiding for the 16 level residential tower next to Citi Central?

Anyway here is the Centrepoint crane:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/3416/dsc00235hx5.th.jpg (http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00235hx5.jpg)

It just might be in storage who knows it may not be in use for a while yet. Or it could come back to Townsville for T2? :)

I just noticed that the saint is in that picture of the crane :dance2:
Also i was reading through the old posts of the Townsville projects thread and it says that T2 was scrapped. Obviously this isn't the case. With the Centrepoint crane I don't see why Hedley would want to paint it the black paint looks new anyway.

T2 isnt scrapped its just on Hold, The predictions are for the Tower to start construction end of this year early next.

That was the T1 crane. Now it's not the vision crane or the Citi Central crane. Could it the Centrepoint crane with a paint job? Either that or it's not in Cairns anymore or is hiding for the 16 level residential tower next to Citi Central?

Anyway here is the Centrepoint crane:

The Centrepoint crane has been in Cairns for the last few years, no paint job or nothing. It was used on Piermonde, then on Axis, and now Centrepoint.

As Sean stated, T1 Walker is going through a rough patch, first hailed as one of the biggest projects in Townsville's history, then touted as Townsville's next tallest building, now its more like, Townsville's Most delayed building.

^^ahh ok thanks for clearing things up gertzy:)

^^ No problem Jesse, but hey, the piermonde and Axis threads are in the archive, i think you'll be interested to see the Centrepoint crane in so many threads

ok i'll have a look. Be we will see this crane again next to city central at the end of the year. I'll have to go into the Hedley Property sales to get some info on upcoming projects. Any questions u want asked?

http://www.twhedley.com.au/piermonde111104-3.jpg
Yeah i see it and the City Quays crane is the Citi Central crane...where ever that is now.

Few more Vision renders:

http://www.twhedley.com.au/vision3a.jpg
http://www.twhedley.com.au/vision-sp1a.jpg

Back of Vision taken today
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/8755/dsc00222ro4.jpg

^^ Awesome, haven't really seen anything from the Abbott street side of Vision. Though, my only criticism is that this one should be a few metres taller than Rydges next door.

No it won't be it's only got another level to go and the tradewinds is fairly tall. It just looks that way from the angle I got but it would be about only a level lower than the holiday inn next door. Ill get another shot sometime :)

Though fits in well on that block doesnt it.

^^ yeah it's good suited for that area, it's going to look great with all that blue glass.

8th Apirl:

I tried to get it next to Rydges so you can compare the heights but it's not a easy location to get pictures of the building :lol:

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/8472/dsc00353ie4.jpg
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3562/dsc00359cm1.jpg

& the crane
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7943/dsc00354vj0.jpg

It's on the last level now.

Vision crane today:
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3106/dsc00208md0.jpg
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9969/dsc00209ru4.jpg
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8353/dsc00257yb0.jpg

Vision updates from Thursday 8th May. They have started painting the back of the building white on both sides. I'm not sure if it is a undercoat or not though. I didn''t go around the front but i'm guessing if they have already started painting then i'm they have finished the 6th level at the front too.

From the marina:
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/6255/dsc01375vy3.jpg

Abbott Street (the back):

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/849/dsc01407sa4.jpg
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7370/dsc01408yt2.jpg
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7219/dsc01409xo9.jpg

Would of been better if alot of these small projects in Cairns like Wallamurra and Vision and Parkview were say at least 12 stories?

The front today:

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/9991/dsc01875cp8.jpg
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5739/visionju7.jpg

Every Hedley project has this sign :P
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3885/dsc01883oi2.jpg

From Sunbird Drive below Red Hill on Wednesday (lots of zoom needed on this shot!) :

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1633/visionhillshotkq5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Update from yesterday. Balconies on the Abbott Street side are getting reviled and glass is starting to go up around them. Also I noticed a large hole dug out the front on the Esplanade side. I wonder why that is, just for water pumping?

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7651/dsc02928qj5.jpg
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/4996/dsc02929yt8.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6241/dsc02930qk2.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3153/dsc02961uj7.jpg

I went past at about 4pm yesterday so the last workers were leaving the site. The northern side has been painted more and some more of the scaffolding has come down. As for the front there isn't much noticeable that I could see.

http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/9389/dsc03258ab6.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3426/dsc03259mi7.jpg

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/4977/dsc03260pt0.jpg

The Abbott Street scaffolding is down and the front is starting to get painted.

Couple of photos and a badly stitched panorama:

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/3090/dsc03522dc5.jpg

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/9528/dsc03521uy3.th.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03521uy3.jpg) http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/7349/dsc03527yn2.th.jpg (http://img257.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc03527yn2.jpg) http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3985/pano10jn9.th.jpg (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pano10jn9.jpg)

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6844/dsc04531fx4.jpg

All the signs have changed and there are new signs. The lobby is also open. I'm just hoping this sign change and covering the renders doesn't mean we are in for a design change or making it cheaper like they did with Centrepoint.

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/8762/dsc04814gl2.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/6794/dsc04815ek5.jpg

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5654/dsc04796rv1.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6643/dsc04797zf4.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2085/dsc04813hc8.jpg

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/6111/dsc04818dj7.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/333/dsc04817oy3.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/4798/visionbj9.jpg

Great updates Jesse, keep em' coming. I really like the street frontage of this building, it reminds me of the holidays I've spent on the Sunshine Coast.

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/3090/dsc03522dc5.jpg

Not much different, heaps of sold signs up though which would normally mean each unit with a sign is sold unless Mr Hedley wants a rush of buyers because it appears they are selling fast :P

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/3104/dsc05538av3.jpg
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/3088/dsc05545vk1.jpg

Nothing new. The crane has been used very little in the last few days, it's like Tom Hedley doesn't want it down since it means he has no cranes in the skyline.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/5671/dsc05760cr4.jpg

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2416/dsc05761ih7.jpg

Not much different, heaps of sold signs up though which would normally mean each unit with a sign is sold unless Mr Hedley wants a rush of buyers because it appears they are selling fast :P


There is NO WORK underway on this building; hasn't been any for weeks. They painted the end units, kinda like putting clothes on a monkey. The "sold" signs are a complete furphy as well - one of the banks in town has confirmed that there are only about half a dozen deposits.

Let's face it, the boom is over. This project is going to sit here, like this, for a long time, probably at least until 2010. That's if Hedley survives at all, which is looking exceedingly UNLIKELY.

Yeah your right, I had a look from the bus today and it has definitely stalled and it appears Hedley planned it as well with finishing off the back of the building and making the banners. Tom is definitely shrinking the business to weather the storm fast, let’s hope he makes it through. Though looks like all his workmen are at the retirement village at Smithfield, that place is one big construction site with that creek they are making.

May as well change the thread title as well.

Very weird today, the crane had been shut down facing west instead of north like it has been for months. It's like it's Tom Hedley showing the public that this project has not stalled and they are still working on it. There wasn't anything new that was noticeable on the outside though.

Very weird today, the crane had been shut down facing west instead of north like it has been for months. It's like it's Tom Hedley showing the public that this project has not stalled and they are still working on it. There wasn't anything new that was noticeable on the outside though.

Some workers at Centrepoint have been told that they will likely continue to work at Vision when they're finished with Centrepoint. And other workers have been moved back to Marquis on Grafton Street - the Body Corporate has filed a notice of claim for what is allegedly extremely shoddy work thruout the tower, as well as apartments that are smaller than shown on the plans.

In the view of many, Hedley is likely to implode any day now. . . .

It is very visible from the outside of Centrepoint that Hedley has been cutting corners, look at the paint and have you seen the steel railings that are replacing the glass on the top levels on the southern side of the building? I believe Vision will be cheap looking as well.

There still is lots of utes out the back so I know there are workers there they just arn't doing much at all. Only thing they do each morning is whistle at my wife when I drop her off to work next door at rydges. I reckon they will keep dragging the job out for as long as they can it may still not be finished in 6 months. The team at the vision site can't see what new job is waiting for them after the vision is complete. And yes I do think that Tom hedley is keeping the crane up for show purposes only. Its not needed anymore

yeh its going at a really slow pace, i saw them using the crane today and doin a bit of work on the building. but seemed like there was only a few workers on site

Yes there must be some workers, the crane keeps changing shutdown positions. Also note in the below photo all the new plants, they must of got trucked in with the Centrepoint batch that also went up. Apart from that nothing new I think but is some of the glass that has gone up new? Also hope that is glass and not cement up on the roof like in the render, I still have the feeling that the sign change was a scheme so Hedley could hide the render and cheapen out, the picture in the paper isn't a close up now either.

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4797/visioncq2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Wednesday morning from the water on the way to Green Island for a school excursion. Centrepoint is finished so the workmen are now here, it's definitely under construction but at one of the slowest paces I have ever seen in Cairns.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/9241/dsc07299lg1.jpg

No large noticeable work from street level except painting, most work is most likely happening inside and on the roof.

It is defiantly under construction again, since Centrepoint is now complete it has picked up the pace.

Thursday:

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4036/dsc07711os7.jpg

I went passed today did not see any construction vehicles at all at both ends. Maybe they are on a 4 day work week to save hedley some money on labour costs.

It's under construction and has been for a while so a title change is still needed.

Here are two from yesterday, nothing new on the outside.

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/5467/dsc08237xd8.jpg

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/9953/dsc08251xf0.jpg

It is a shame Hedley not make it 2 floors higher its such a waist of a great site. It looks so odd being shorter than its two neighbours Holiday inn and Rydges. But with the economy the way it is it is getting harder to sell the high end of the market in apartments so just as well not any taller as wont find enough buyers for them.

The redesign does not change the building height which Council has already found satisfactory and approved. Note the building has a total height of 18.6, marginally above the Acceptable Measure of 18m for the Holiday Accommodation & Multi Unit Housing Code and the Height & Impact of Building Overlay Code. This was on the basis that the buildings either side of the subject land were constructed under previous planning schemes and have greater heights of 20.0m and 23.0m.

Can we have the old plan back?

I saw today they were using the crane again at the vision site they were lifting up timber in the rain to the top floor. So still fair amount of work to be done inside. I wonder when it will be finished. It will be nearly a 2 year building project when its finally done.

Got some quick updates yesterday too. The glass roof has been cheapened out I think, unless I just can't see through because of no sun.

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/8536/dsc08453iu0.jpg

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4415/dsc08454ib6.jpg

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/4157/dsc08468cb6.jpg

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5098/dsc08470yh4.jpg

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/2990/dsc08471gg9.jpg

Today.

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/7169/dsc08587ay9.jpg

Nice to see that they are making a bit of progress at last. With the scafolding off the top 2 floors at the esplanade side. Its really looking much better. Hopefully it will be all done in a month approx.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1490/dsc08658yz2.jpg

Today was a open day for viewing Vision so there were a few people inside.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/7641/dsc00087jw6.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5919/dsc00098aq7.jpg

Vision still not finished I went passed today crane still moving about a few workers to be seen. Will it be done by Christmas this must be the slowest built building in Cairns history. All scaffolding is down now and the esplanade side wall by footpath have been painted looking a bit better

Still no activity. I think its stalled again. Hedley has not got the money to finish it at the moment.

Easter Monday. The design isn't too bad it's just the paint and the most likely severe cheapening out that is going on everywhere.

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/9315/96563911.jpg

Crane has gone When I looked Today, at long last you could say. Final touches being done to the abbott st side still has fence their on that side. The Esplanade side looks all done. Should be all done soon. So no more hedley cranes on our skyline a long break with tradition as we use to always have one up somewhere.

Only took what 4 years? Having no Hedley crane in Cairns is a good thing your might say ;)

Its the longest 6 level building project in cairns history a full 3 years. And yes hedley for years has dominated the skyline with the most number of cranes up at once. I dont know if he has one at the retirement village in Caravonica

Well the crane is gone, but there were a couple workers there leaving when I went past yesterday afternoon so it is still moving along, Hedley's sales office is still open too.

There are people living in some units that are finished, obviously the units that have been sold are finished. There is a couple on the balcony wondering why the hell I'm taking a photo of the building. The lucky ones that have to put up with a banner across the front of their view :lol:

Yesterday;

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5238/dsc04671.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/6139/dsc04691d.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/6676/dsc04692uhh.jpg

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/3119/dsc04689.jpg

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/7355/dsc04690b.jpg

There are people living in some units that are finished, obviously the units that have been sold are finished.

Sorry, but neither is true. Titles haven't issued yet, and can't until all the units are finished. I think a couple out-of-town workers are "camping out" in a couple units.

And it isn't obvious that "sold" units are even sold. Hedley has a long history of putting up "sold" signs in a pathetic attempt to generate sales.

^^The sold signs are gone aren't they now? It was pretty obvious when he posted them on nearly every single window of a project that he was bluffing.

As posted the other day, water is leaking through roofs in this development. Not a surprise for this one really.

Today.

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9417/p10402642556169.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4457/p10402682699466.jpg

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/5799/p10402823142954.jpg

So 3 of Hedley's apartments have that problem now. What a legecy to leave behind