State planners have unanimously approved a six-storey, $55 million micro-apartment complex in Fremantle's historic precinct, despite 35 objections from the community. The development, proposed by Marprop on Queen Victoria Street, will include 111 co-living apartments as small as 26 square metres and 83 hotel rooms.
The Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel approved the project at its November 20 meeting, citing the need for diverse housing. Panel presiding member Dale Page said the community would benefit from the high-quality development of an underutilised site. Deputy presiding member Karen Hyde praised the handling of the challenging site.
City of Fremantle councillor Andrew Sullivan supported the project, noting the city's planning scheme encourages smaller apartments. The complex will feature shared amenities such as dining and lounge spaces, an atrium, gym, laundry, and outdoor communal areas. The hotel component will have its own pool, rooftop bar, and parking.
However, the development includes only 73 on-site car bays, a shortfall of 240. Dan Lees from Element Advisory argued that co-living residents typically have lower car ownership and can rely on public transport. James Theodore from Marprop said leases would range from three months to three years, with over half expected to be used by defence force personnel.
David Congdon from Land Planning Consultants, representing an adjacent landowner, opposed the proposal, calling it an overdevelopment of living areas and an underdevelopment of parking. He warned that the parking shortfall would compound issues for the local community, especially with another co-living development nearby.
The approval includes conditions to protect the adjacent Dalgety Wool Store building during construction.
