The $120 million plan to transform Scarborough’s ageing Rendezvous Observation City Hotel site may be another feather in the cap for planning and architecture firm HASSELL, but the firm is well aware of the enormous potential logistical challenges ahead.
Under plans submitted to the City of Stirling this week, the existing 18-storey tower must be completely gutted and replaced with 102 apartments, while the northern and southern portions of the site would be demolished to make way for a new eight-storey hotel and mixed-use facilities all at the same time.
The high profile development, on what will essentially become a greenfield site, comes with equally high expectations, among which is its potential to drag Scarborough out of the commercial, and architectural, doldrums.
HASSELL principal John Crabtree said it was constrained to a certain extent in what it could achieve by the Observation City superstructure.
However, the razing of buildings surrounding the hotel presented opportunities to create new commercial and retail offerings from scratch.
HASSELL’s integrated precinct plan is designed to activate every street corner, with striking glazing treatments and an elevated glass ‘infinity’ pool which passers-by can peer into.
“The entire development is aimed at activating the streetscape and the commercial environment, particularly during the winter months, and lifting those innocuous street corners,” he said.
“In summer and spring, small businesses at street level will benefit from greater shading.”
Mr Crabtree said the general appearance of the 1980s style hotel tower would be significantly improved, impacting positively on surrounding areas.
“This is a very positive project for the city. The beachfront has suffered for the last 15 to 20 years and this has to happen for small business to be sustainable there into the future,” he said.
Mr Crabtree said the plan was aligned with the City of Stirling’s objectives for the beachfront precinct and its Scarborough Environs Area Strategy.
If all bodes well, the project is expected to take two and a half years to complete with an estimated grand opening in 2011.
