Council rejects 'appalling' Meriton tower
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By Fiona Cameron |
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| Brisbane City Council has dealt a blow to Sydney developer Meriton's first foray into the Queensland capital by rejecting the design of a 76-storey tower the Lord Mayor describes as "absolutely appalling". |
Meriton says it will push on with its plans for the apartment building, on the corner of Boundary and Adelaide streets, that will be taller than any other existing tower in the city.
The company would seek to address the council's concerns, spokesman Daniel Grynberg said yesterday.
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman used the "absolutely appalling" phrase at a meeting of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment Committee that rejected Meriton's design.
The Lord Mayor was not available for comment.
The committee chair, Amanda Cooper, says its concerns focused on only two matters: design and traffic issues.
"It doesn't really serve to deal with the subtropical nature of design we are trying to promote," Ms Cooper says.
She says it was unusual that a proposal that did not meet the council's requirements got as far as it did in the planning process.
Milton Dick, one of two Labor members on the Liberal-dominated committee, says he found it "extraordinary" that Mr Newman would speak against the design the way he did.
"I think perhaps a more constructive approach is required when we are dealing with a construction of this size and importance for Brisbane," Mr Dick says.
He and the other Labor councillor, David Hinchliffe, shared the Liberals' concerns over the building's traffic issues.
Meriton founder Harry Triguboff was last month singing the council's praises, with a newspaper attributing him as saying its "more relaxed approach to development was appealing".
Mr Triguboff and general manager Peter Spira were not available at the time of publication.
In a statement, Meriton's planner, Walter Gordon, said the company was disappointed, but remained "very excited about our first project in the Queensland capital".
"We, and our architects DBI, have worked hard with council's planning staff, architects, traffic planners and engineers to come up with a proposal for a building of superior urban design excellence and improved local traffic management," he says.
"We are uncertain at this stage what particular issues council may have, but are confident that together with our consultants we will be able to work together to produce a fantastic building for Meriton and Brisbane."
As the Sydney market softened last year, Meriton moved into Brisbane, buying the Adelaide Street site in May and another in January this year.
Meriton has been a prolific developer of apartments, mainly at the cheaper end of the market, in Sydney and on the Gold Coast.
Caption: Unloved: An artist's impression of Meriton's planned Brisbane tower
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