Green light for $240m Perth CBD revamp with hotel and rooftop pool
A $240 million megaproject that will breathe new life into the iconic St Martins Center has been given the official green light to transform it into a 240-room hotel with a retail center and office space.
The Metro Internal Development Assessment Panel unanimously approved the plans on Wednesday morning, which also include the redevelopment of the heritage-listed McNess Royal Arcade and Bridal House.
St Martins Properties has three consecutive office towers on St Georges Terrace and the hotel will be built at number 44.
The 33rd-floor revolving restaurant is intended to be retained and repurposed as a “sky bar facility” with additional supporting amenities for new hotels to be built on the second and third floors.
A new three-story building will be added to the rear that will house dining, retail and wellness functions, as well as a podium rooftop pool club.
Main office use will be retained at 40 and 50 St Georges Terrace, but a new ground floor retail and dining area will be introduced to activate St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street.
McNess Royal Arcade was Perth’s first urban shopping center and was built in 1897.
The new development is expected to be completed in various stages within four years.
Project proponent Daniel Lees of SLR Consulting said the building addition would be a game changer for the area.
“Comprised of three office towers and extensive frontage to Hay Street Shopping Centre, St Martin’s Center is one of Central Perth’s best-known commercial precincts,” he said.
“This project will breathe new life into the area, complementing the surrounding areas and the success of adjacent precincts such as the Treasury, and will provide an opportunity for the heritage-listed McNess Royal Arcade and Bridal House buildings to be preserved and adaptively re-used in the future.”
Lees said the hotel addition, as well as more contemporary food, beverage and entertainment offerings, will help extend the operating hours of nearby streets from the current 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City of Perth councilor Liam Gobbert said he was pleased to see St Martins Properties had taken the heritage aspect into account in its proposals.
“I am very happy to support the recommendation and I hope the four-year period proposed in the application will not be that long,” he said.
Panel chair member Dale Page said he was “very pleased” with the multimillion-dollar bid plans.
“This is a very prominent and important location in the heart of the city and has frontage on three of the city’s most important pedestrian streets and focal points,” he said.
“I am particularly pleased to see the adaptive reuse of the upper floors of heritage-listed buildings which have caused difficulties in this part of the city in the past. Given that it is currently planned as the final stage of works, I hope progress will be made and sooner rather than later.”
