Cockburn Central: $98m hotel, apartment towers approved for Commemoration Approach by JDAP

Cockburn Central’s transformation into a vibrant southern suburbs hub is about to take another huge step forward with a $98 million hotel and apartment development getting the green light. The mixed-use, multiple tower development on Commemoration Approach was unanimously approved by a Joint Development Assessment Panel on Thursday morning, subject to a string of conditions. Sitting at a maximum height of 60.21m and nine storeys tall, the development will contain a 113-room hotel, 262 apartments, a childcare centre, office space, shops and a restaurant. It’s the latest in a line of high-profile plans for the burgeoning area, in addition to Cockburn Central’s existing facilities. The Cockburn ARC and Fremantle Dockers’ headquarters and training facility are located a drop punt from the proposed hotel site, while Cockburn police station and the under-construction new fire station are also nearby. In March, a JDAP also approved a $23 million entertainment hub — including cinemas, restaurants and a bowling alley — at the corner of Midgegooroo Avenue and Veterans Parade, right across from the hotel site. It is also within walking distance of Cockburn Central Station, set to be a vital cog in Metronet’s Thornlie-Cockburn link, and will be close to the North Lake Road and Armadale Road freeway flyover, expected to be completed by late 2021. The City of Cockburn is also planning a new administration centre and council chambers in the vicinity, with councillors voting in 2018 for an eventual move to a lot on Veterans Parade, opposite Cockburn ARC. In February, the State Government announced construction will start on a private mental health facility on nearby Legacy Way in early 2021. Meanwhile, Cockburn Gateway Shopping Centre, located just a few hundred metres away on the other side of Beeliar Drive, also has plans to expand, with an upstairs dining and entertainment precinct receiving JDAP approval last September. The development application outlined 2828sqm of commercial floor space, including the child care centre, and will include 124 commercial and 284 residential car parking bays. The complex will be built in three stages, with the southern portion of the site, featuring commercial and office space and 96 dwellings, to proceed first. The hotel will be built at the northern end of the site as part of stage three, along with the child care centre, 546sqm of commercial floor area at ground level and 70 multiple dwellings. Cockburn councillors and JDAP members Chontelle Stone and Chamonix Terblanche both raised concerns about the parking provided in an area that already has a deficit of bays. PTS Town Planning director Peter Simpson explained the childcare would draw clients from the apartments and nearby offices and its proximity to the train station would alleviate parking issues. Despite their concerns, both councillors expressed their excitement for the development and heralded it as a vital piece of infrastructure which would boost local tourism, commercial and residential opportunities. The JDAP report concluded the $98m development would further activate the area and incorporating a hotel could have a positive effect on current and future businesses operating within the locale.