New hotel and apartments for Scarborough Beach

A twin-tower development up to 43 storeys high on Perth's iconic Scarborough Beach has been given the green light.

Chinese-backed developers 3 Oceans will build the two mixed-use residential and hotel accommodation towers of 43 and 33 storeys.

The development is massive, more than doubling the height of the existing tallest structure along the beach, the 18-storey Rendezvous Hotel.

The company’s original $400 million plan, which included two towers – one of 43 storyes and another of 35 stories – was rejected by Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) over concerns of an overdevelopment of the site.

At the time, it found that the development was “of excessive bulk and scale that is inconsistent with the established and intended built form and character of the area".

The company then modified its plans reducing the number of hotel rooms from 158 to 119, and apartments from 346 to 314. The new plan also shrinks the height of the second tower from 35 storeys to 33 and it includes 100 public parking bays, a "WA coastal experience centre", an observation deck with art gallery and restaurant/cafe, retail and food outlets covering almost 3000 square metres.

MRA chairman George McCullagh said the original development had raised a number of concerns but the new design was much better received by the public.

"Developments of this nature inevitably divide public opinion, and in the case of Scarborough and other metropolitan areas that are rich in history and supported by a passionate local community, the board gave due consideration to the broad range of views from residents, business, visitors and tourists," Mr McCullagh told the ABC.

"Through an informal mediation process, 3 Oceans worked with independent architects to improve design quality and reduce local amenity impacts including a reduction in the height of the second tower and an overall reduction in floor space."

Leon Getler 28th June 2018.

Image credit: Times Stirling