Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Brittney Levinson

Westfield Woden owners lodge plans for 16-storey tower

An artist impression of the proposed building facade. Picture supplied

The owners of Westfield Woden have submitted a proposal for a new, 16-storey commercial building next to the shopping centre.

The $118 million plans involve demolishing the currently vacant Bonner House East, located at block 21 section 19 Phillip, and building an A-grade tower.

While office space is the predominant focus of the application, hotel accommodation and childcare facilities are also being considered.

Scentre Group, the owner and operator of Westfield centres, and Perron Investments, which purchased a $335 million stake in Westfield Woden in 2016, are behind the proposal.

In its application, Scentre Group explained the new building would feature a "simple, high-quality design" that would also improve pedestrian access to the shopping centre.

"Movement to and from the mall currently requires pedestrians to skirt around the outside of the Bonner House East building whereas the new building will welcome and encourage pedestrians to move through the space on the ground level," the report said.

The building would feature public retail spaces on the ground level and a net lettable area of 21,620 square metres across the upper levels. Three basement levels would be built to accommodate 102 car spaces.

The plans also include end-of-trip facilities for cyclists on the ground floor, including showers, storage lockers and bicycle racks.

Retail spaces would be built on the ground floor to encourage pedastrian access. Picture supplied

The building would aim for an energy efficient model, with solar panels and a special facade design to reduce heat gain.

Scentre Group director of development Stewart White said the commercial tower would be "transformative" for the Woden Town Centre.

An artist's impression of the 16-storey commercial tower proposed by Scentre Group. Picture supplied

"It may include hotel, childcare and premium office accommodation with world-class, end-of-trip facilities and showcase Scentre Group's responsible business strategy, through a range of sustainability initiatives," he said.

"The proposed investment will continue to establish Westfield Woden as the destination for people to live, work and play.

"It further complements the ACT government's ambitious plans to rejuvenate the Woden Town Centre and comes at a time where we expect to see other external projects, such as CIT, public realm upgrades and light rail, come to life.

"We look forward to working closely with government and all stakeholders throughout the planning process."

Scentre Group conducted community consultation on the proposal in 2020.

Public representations on the development application close on February 27.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.