Final stage of Younghusband redevelopment recommended for approval

The third and final stage of Younghusband urban renewal project in Melbourne's Kensington has been unanimously recommended for approval by the City of Melbourne.

The Younghusband redevelopment proposes to transform a heritage-listed wool store in to commercial office and retail spaces in its first stage, currently under construction, with a new office development to the south in stage two.

In the third stage, an existing warehouse, not heritage-listed, to the east of stage one will be demolished and replaced with a new six-storey complex which will accommodate offices, retail spaces, food and beverage facilities and a gym.

A chamfered corner to the north-west of the lower levels will create a privately owned, publicly accessible open space for the community.

The top level of the proposed building will be recessed to reduce its visual impact. The building will also be made using materials complementary to its heritage-listed neighbour.

An original proposal for stage three was submitted to the minister for planning in September 2022, which received an objection from Melbourne Water. The proposal has since been redesigned and resubmitted to address Melbourne Water's concerns and mitigate flood risk.

City of Melbourne's acting director of planning and building Marjorie Kennedy said the resubmitted proposal was a "good contextual response with high quality urban design outcomes through high quality materials, custom flood gates to be added on individual entries."

In supporting the proposal, lord mayor Sally Capp said she "particularly liked the thoughtfulness that has gone into the open spaces, the urban realm, available to the public for use."

The council will make its recommendation to the Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny, who be the responsible authority for determining the application.