Boyd tender closes

The City of Melbourne’s tender process for the sale and redevelopment of the commercial and residential development at Boyd closed on February 15.

As part of the new Boyd Park, currently under construction, the council is seeking a collaborative arrangement with a private developer to purchase and redevelop 1843sqm of the site at 132 Kavanagh St.

To be located at corner abutting Kavanagh St and Kings Way, the council is requesting a development proposal that includes 550sqm of community facilities on the ground level, affordable housing and active frontages to the new park.

The tender process represents a significant step in a saga that dates back to 2012, when the City of Melbourne first entered into an agreement with developer The Mackie Group to provide both the development and the park.

Following two failed attempts by Mackie to finance the project, the City of Melbourne cut ties with the developer in 2017. In the wake of the delays the council pushed forward with delivering the park itself, starting construction last year.

With the park now due for completion this year, a spokesperson for the City of Melbourne said the evaluation of development applicants was now underway, with its preferred proponent to be announced in late April and plans to be revealed mid-year.

“Our request for the proposal for the Boyd development outlines the need for community facilities on the ground level, affordable housing, 6-star Green Star certification, active frontage to public space and provisions for appropriate bike and car access,” a spokesperson said.

“We require the development to be a high quality design that is responsive and considerate of its surrounds and the needs of the community. Our vision is to support the creation and timely delivery of a vibrant new village centre for Southbank for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

The council’s development brief for the site notes that current community facilities within Boyd Community Hub were already facing operational challenges and needed to be expanded to cater for future population growth.

In addition to the mandatory 550sqm of community facilities on the ground floor, the brief says there is potential for a health clinic or creche on the podium levels to support the emerging residential and worker population.

It also notes that at least one cafe or restaurant should be included on the ground floor fronting the park and requests a minimum of 40 dwellings (15 per cent overall) for affordable housing to be managed through a registered agency.

The project timeline would see construction start in 2020 and the building completed by mid-2022. The development site will be used as a temporary park until construction begins.

Council’s chair of planning Cr Nicholas Reece said: “The Boyd site is an incredibly important project for our municipality and we are excited to see the project reach this important stage.”