Gurner working with council on Wellington Street amendments, responds to councillor comments

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Jul 26, 2017

Gurner working with council on Wellington Street amendments, responds to councillor comments

Tim Gurner spoke to SCHWARTZWILLIAMS about his Koichi Takada-designed, Wellington Street development in Collingwood, and about the "unhelpful" comments from councillor Steve Jolly.

A recent render of Gurner's Wellington Street, Collingwood, development.
A recent render of Gurner's Wellington Street, Collingwood, development.
A recent render of Gurner's Wellington Street, Collingwood, development.
Tim Gurner of development company, GURNER.

Tim Gurner is working closely with Yarra Council to modify his Wellington Street development, and hopes the changes will put the project closer to approval. He spoke to SCHWARTZWILLIAMS about the project, and about those "unhelpful" comments from councillor Steve Jolly.

"The comments from councillor Jolly were obviously very out of line, and without any knowledge of the scheme, context, (or) changes that have been made with the officers, or any discussions with me or the architects," said Gurner.

Reports in The Age claimed Councillor Jolly said the project was "a bogan" and like "Las Vegas building Photoshopped onto a map of Collingwood".

Gurner said Jolly's comments, coming from a "councillor who is meant to be prudent and follow process", are "not helpful".

"He clearly likes to be controversial," said Gurner.

Gurner has been working closely with Yarra Council to modify the Wellington Street proposal, to address council and community concerns.

"We have been working with council officers for over nine months and have a very good working relationship with them," said Gurner.

"We will be working very closely with all neighbours, Collingwood community, and officers to ensure we respond to all of their concerns," he said.

Council "highlighted a number of concerns around height, building mass, materiality and continuous form," said Gurner, adding that "substantial changes" have been made to the initial proposal.

"We reduced the height at the northern end and seriously reduced the mass of the building to ensure it responded to the residential areas nearby," said Gurner.

"We have made substantial changes to the podium design for it to respond more closely with the surrounding buildings and be stronger and tougher than what it was, as requested by the officers.

"We have also introduced a lot more natural brick and timbers throughout the entire design to bring back some more industrial tones and finishes without destroying the intent of what (architect) Koichi Takada has created."

Gurner hopes the changes will put the development in a better position to be approved.

"I am hopeful they will, once we are complete," he said, but added council is unlikely to give full approval.

"It is a political issue not a strategic planning or development decision, and history tells us that they probably will not approve it in full, as they really never do for anyone, which is disappointing," said Gurner.