GEELONG > all projects & discussion

[Shieldsy]

sounds good, at least there giving it some height

[tower_dan]

8 Level apartment building across from Deakin Waterfront campus.

took it a month ago, foprgot to post it, my bad

[SamTheMan]

Over the past couple of days a large crane has appeared at Simonds Stadium to life the larger sections of the new stand into place.

[Shieldsy]

yeh, seen that bad boy at the Geelong - Port Adelaide game, in typical geelong weather might I add

[kichigai]

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/...5971_news.html

$1 billion bay development vision

A $1 BILLION plan to give Geelong a convention centre and a world-class waterfront residential precinct has been unveiled by a London-based urban developer.

The ambitious proposal involves a massive rejuvenation of the area between Eastern Beach and Limeburners Point.

It calls for the construction of an international exhibition centre, a five-star hotel and six large piers that would house hotels, serviced apartments and residential units.

The development would connect to the waterfront by an overhead cable car running from Cunningham Pier.

It would also be the base for a fleet of water taxis that would run across Corio Bay and connect with Avalon Airport shuttle buses.

The proposal comes from Lawrence Elms, whose company Elms Partners Limited, has managed billions of dollars' worth of civil and urban projects internationally.

"Geelong is currently short of a grand plan and this is it," Mr Elms said.

"Our aim is to create the best waterfront precinct in Australia."

Mr Elms said a team of planners, architects and economists, in London, Dubai and Melbourne, had been working on the project for the past six months.

He claimed the project would take four years to complete and be a jobs bonanza.

We estimate there would be 850 jobs during the construction phase, 500 of them locally," he said.

"During the operational phase (when construction is completed) 550 direct jobs and 800 indirect positions will be created."

His group's financial forecasters say there would be a direct economic impact of $450 million during construction.

Once up and running the precinct would generate an economic benefit of $86 million a year, the claim.

The cornerstone of the project is a 32,000 square metre convention centre and an associated 200 room five-star hotel.

"This would be a world class facility that would attract business people from around the country and the world into the region," Mr Elms said.

He said the convention centre would occupy the current site of the Limeburners car park and boat ramp, which would be repositioned to the east.

"There is an issue with the ramp in a northwesterly wind, so repositioning it to a more protected location makes sense for boat owners."

Adjacent to the hotel and immediately to the west would be the first of five massive piers protruding out from the escarpment. These would be 150m long and 50m wide and be positioned 100m apart.

Each would contain a variety of accommodation options, residential and service apartments and hotels.

Behind these, on the shore would be shops, cafes, boutiques and other lifestyle-based businesses.

"This precinct would be perfectly located with water views to the front and botanic gardens to the rear," Mr Elms said.

"This part of the development would be low rise and would in no way reduce or interfere with the current amenity of the area."

He believes his grand plan would dramatically transform Geelong and people's perception of it.

"It would cut us adrift from our industrial past and focus us on the future," he said.

"Further it would focus investors' attention on Geelong, at the moment we are not even on their radar."

Mr Elms said the entire project, with its many public benefits, would be entirely financed by the private sector.

"Developers would be licenced to build the piers and associated accommodation, hotel and retail precincts," he said.

"The money raised from the licence fees would be used to construct the much-needed convention centre."

He said the only input needed from government was the donation of a narrow strip of waterfront crown land, west of Limeburners Point, from which the residential piers would extend.

To become a reality the project would need the involvement of government at either municipal or state level.

Mr Elms has suggested his organisation run the project on behalf of the City of Greater Geelong.

If the council does not wish to become involved he is prepared to take his proposal directly to Spring Street.

"This plan is about economic development and the creation of sustainable jobs on low carbon principals," he said.

"It will provide a major economic stimulus with zero cost to government."

More here

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/ge...709-21rtb.html

[SamTheMan]

Managed to drop into Simonds Stadium before work today and take some pics.

Looks like half the bottom section is now in place. They were lifting the panels for the central/main staircase/liftwell into place whilst I was there.

[Aussie Steve]

Is the design of the new section of the stadium, the same as the most recent additions?

[kichigai]

Yes.

[tower_dan]

Originally Posted by kichigai

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/...5971_news.html

$1 billion bay development vision

A $1 BILLION plan to give Geelong a convention centre and a world-class waterfront residential precinct has been unveiled by a London-based urban developer.

The ambitious proposal involves a massive rejuvenation of the area between Eastern Beach and Limeburners Point.

It calls for the construction of an international exhibition centre, a five-star hotel and six large piers that would house hotels, serviced apartments and residential units.

The development would connect to the waterfront by an overhead cable car running from Cunningham Pier.

It would also be the base for a fleet of water taxis that would run across Corio Bay and connect with Avalon Airport shuttle buses.

The proposal comes from Lawrence Elms, whose company Elms Partners Limited, has managed billions of dollars' worth of civil and urban projects internationally.

"Geelong is currently short of a grand plan and this is it," Mr Elms said.

"Our aim is to create the best waterfront precinct in Australia."

Mr Elms said a team of planners, architects and economists, in London, Dubai and Melbourne, had been working on the project for the past six months.

He claimed the project would take four years to complete and be a jobs bonanza.

We estimate there would be 850 jobs during the construction phase, 500 of them locally," he said.

"During the operational phase (when construction is completed) 550 direct jobs and 800 indirect positions will be created."

His group's financial forecasters say there would be a direct economic impact of $450 million during construction.

Once up and running the precinct would generate an economic benefit of $86 million a year, the claim.

The cornerstone of the project is a 32,000 square metre convention centre and an associated 200 room five-star hotel.

"This would be a world class facility that would attract business people from around the country and the world into the region," Mr Elms said.

He said the convention centre would occupy the current site of the Limeburners car park and boat ramp, which would be repositioned to the east.

"There is an issue with the ramp in a northwesterly wind, so repositioning it to a more protected location makes sense for boat owners."

Adjacent to the hotel and immediately to the west would be the first of five massive piers protruding out from the escarpment. These would be 150m long and 50m wide and be positioned 100m apart.

Each would contain a variety of accommodation options, residential and service apartments and hotels.

Behind these, on the shore would be shops, cafes, boutiques and other lifestyle-based businesses.

"This precinct would be perfectly located with water views to the front and botanic gardens to the rear," Mr Elms said.

"This part of the development would be low rise and would in no way reduce or interfere with the current amenity of the area."

He believes his grand plan would dramatically transform Geelong and people's perception of it.

"It would cut us adrift from our industrial past and focus us on the future," he said.

"Further it would focus investors' attention on Geelong, at the moment we are not even on their radar."

Mr Elms said the entire project, with its many public benefits, would be entirely financed by the private sector.

"Developers would be licenced to build the piers and associated accommodation, hotel and retail precincts," he said.

"The money raised from the licence fees would be used to construct the much-needed convention centre."

He said the only input needed from government was the donation of a narrow strip of waterfront crown land, west of Limeburners Point, from which the residential piers would extend.

To become a reality the project would need the involvement of government at either municipal or state level.

Mr Elms has suggested his organisation run the project on behalf of the City of Greater Geelong.

If the council does not wish to become involved he is prepared to take his proposal directly to Spring Street.

"This plan is about economic development and the creation of sustainable jobs on low carbon principals," he said.

"It will provide a major economic stimulus with zero cost to government."

More here

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/ge...709-21rtb.html

Geelong waterfront project slammed
Date: July 10, 2012

A PROPOSED billion-dollar development on Geelong's foreshore has been condemned by a local member of Parliament.

Member for Geelong Ian Trezise has criticised the waterfront project, which would include a convention centre, a five-star hotel and six piers that would house private homes.

CK Designworks, which put together the redevelopment plan, said the project would come at no cost to local or state governments and would include bars and cafes.

However, Mr Trezise said it would cut off the general public's access to hundreds of metres of prime foreshore land. ''Eastern Park was thankfully set aside by our founding forebears approximately 150 years ago for recreational purposes and therefore the park should be seen as sacrosanct by our civic leaders,'' Mr Trezise said.

The project is being pushed by former Geelong resident and London-based developer Lawrence Elms.

Mr Trezise said he did not believe any form of private development should encroach upon the Eastern Park complex.

The local council is keen to build a convention centre in the precinct and mayor John Mitchell said there had been plenty of interest from developers about taking the project on board, but at present it was a only a proposal.



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/ge...#ixzz20IY4SL2w

[Melb_aviator]

More whinging and moaning.. Ffs, it's about time that people actually valued investment and worked towards solutions to overcome objections rather than just opposing anything.

I like the concept. Has the potential to add a lot to Geelong . Unfortunately, I don't see it happening though.

[Dockside]

^I agree 100%.
Plus i also dont see it getting byilt

[pornstar013]

yeah it aint gunna happen

[tower_dan]

this is a prime example of WHY the idea of "moving population growth to cities like geelong, ballarat and bendigo" won't work.

there is a reason places like inner melbourne are desirable/in demand places to live, is that they are vibrant cosmopolitan ever changing places that young to middle aged people love. places that reject/put up a fight against EVERYTHING that is proposed makes the whole city feel flat and stagnant (geelong has barely changed since i lived there 2 years ago)

if the govt wants to really encourage growth/development then Matt Guy should have say over these things and can overrule local councils like here in melbourne.

otherwise grumpy old councillors will keep all these cities how they were when THEY were young, something that is not possible anymore without SOME sort of compromise.

[Shieldsy]

yeah, I cannot see this going through at all, although I believe retaining Eastern Park's boundaries does have some merit in it, I would rather see a development around Geelong train station, spanning from La Trobe Terrace to the wast of the station, through Mercer Street and going through to Western beach, It definitely has logistical merits for a convention centre, like the Adelaide Convention Centre for example placed over the Central rail Terminal for the CBD, this would mean a completely new Geelong Station, a rejuvenated Mercer Street and Foreshore Developments along Eastern Beach. Just my opinion among many different ones.

[SamTheMan]

Was able to drop into Simonds Stadium during my lunch break today. Construction seems to be progressing well.

Interesting to read around the place that because all panels etc are precast offsite, rain delays are basically non-existant.

A few pics from my dodgy HTC-

[SamTheMan]

Another update from Simonds Stadium Southern Stand Redevelopment 31/07/2012-

[Melb_aviator]

Thanks for the updates.

As for the convention centre proposal, the same people that jump up and down and cry that no one helps Geelong when things get tough and likely the ones objecting to this plan. They have no idea.

If Geelong wants to thrive it needs to diversify. Relying on Ford and Shell to drive the economy are very risky vets to make. This proposal atleast generates an alternative industry to build from.

[kichigai]

Who is objecting to the convention centre proposal though? I haven't heard anyone objecting to it. The only thing (as far as I can see) stopping it is that the council can't get their hands on the funding. It would be great if it did go ahead. Geelong certainly needs to diversify it's economy (and is going to need much help once Ford goes).

[Melb_aviator]

Originally Posted by kichigai

Who is objecting to the convention centre proposal though? I haven't heard anyone objecting to it. The only thing (as far as I can see) stopping it is that the council can't get their hands on the funding. It would be great if it did go ahead. Geelong certainly needs to diversify it's economy (and is going to need much help once Ford goes).

There have been a couple of articles written about it that I saw, mainly harping on about the location. There's always some excuse.

[kichigai]

You're not confusing with the Eastern Beach proposal are you? People seem to be behind the proposed site next to Deakin.