An artist’s impression of the Stage 3 building for Koko Molonglo in Wright. The serviced apartments will be converted into residential units for sale. Image: OZTAL Architects
The developer of Koko Molonglo in Wright has scrapped plans for a hotel in Stage 3 of the sprawling project, which saw the opening of an Aldi supermarket over the weekend.
Krnc Group submitted a development application last year for a seven-storey building containing 101 serviced apartments.
The proposed hotel was to front Steve Irwin Avenue and provide a mix of one- and two-bedroom serviced apartments, but the decision now means an additional 100 homes for the popular suburb.
Krnc Group director John Krnc said the project had been revised and an amended DA would be submitted for a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
“We’ve decided now financially that it was never going to work,” he said.
“So it’s been changed to 101 residential apartments that will come on the market.”
Mr Krnc said the DA was in the process of being amended for approval.
The hotel would have mainly catered to family groups and visitors, including business and government clients, given that Wright is only a short drive from Parliament House and Civic.
Koko Molonglo is a landmark development on the prime corner of John Gorton Drive and Steve Irwin Avenue, a key intersection that will also be the site of the proposed Wright and Coombs urban village.
The Koko Molonglo site plan shows the four stages.
Stage 1 is the eight-storey mixed-use development that includes 132 units, a Woolworths Metro supermarket and assorted shops. Stage 2 is the new Aldi supermarket located behind it, which fronts Gornall Street.
Plans for the Stage 3 building show a rooftop terrace with raised planters and seating, while frontages to Steve Irwin Avenue will be landscaped with garden beds, existing trees and grassed verges.
A vertical green wall is proposed for the entry boundary, while the entry forecourt will be paved and a range of patios in a patterned design will mark the pedestrian area, shared driveway and parking bays.
Parking for 177 spaces is proposed in the first-level basement and upper ground floor, to be accessed via the development’s approved main entry at the intersection of Steve Irwin Avenue and Banjo Patterson Avenue, or the secondary point on Gornall Street.
There will also be bicycle parking and storage.
The building plans incorporate sustainability features, including an energy-efficient, passive design that reduces the need for heating and cooling, ensuring cross-ventilation and natural light. Additionally, the plans feature a rooftop solar array to supplement power use, stormwater reuse, and a water tank on the roof for irrigation of trees and plants.
Building materials and finishes will be low-carbon and bio-based wherever possible to minimise emissions, plastics and oiled/petroleum-based paints.
The remaining small parcel of land on the corner of Steve Irwin Avenue and Gornall Street could be used for either residential or commercial premises.
