More apartments, shops, restaurants and cafes are on the drawing board for Werribee CBD, part of a Wyndham council plan to “activate” the shopping strip by selling off three carparks.
The council voted on Monday night to advertise for expressions of interest (EoI) for the Riverbend carpark in Comben Drive, the Gateway carpark on Synnot Street and the future Cherry Street carpark on Kelly and Jellicoe streets.
The council, which owns all three parking lots, is envisioning:
- Ground-level shops, restaurants and cafes, with upper-level apartments overlooking the Werribee River at the Riverbend site;
- Public car parking and higher-density, mixed-use developments for the Cherry Street site; and
- ‘Higher-order uses’ and public car parking at the Gateway site.
A Wyndham Integrated Community Learning Hub – which could include a library, learning space, cafe and other community facilities – may also form part of the Riverbend site development.
A council report states: “An overall increase in public parking via multi- storey parking is also sought as part of the redevelopment of the three sites”.
The EoI documentation recommends that Gateway site proposals should retain or increase the amount of existing public car parking; the Cherry Street site should seek to provide public car parking; and the Riverbend site should reduce or eliminate public car parking in favour of it being relocated to the other two sites.
‘No net parking loss’
Sustainable development director Dean Rochfort stressed it was “council’s intent that there not be a net loss to car parking in the Werribee CBD”.
“Our current position is that the net growth of CBD parking is to be supported and we don’t believe that this particular activity will impinge on that long-term goal,” Mr Rochfort said.
“The process we’re undergoing is to go to the market and ask the development community what particular projects they may wish to partner with council, many of which we imagine would include public car parking.”
Cr Marie Brittan said a public-private partnership would increase parking in Werribee’s CBD and rejuvenate the area.
“But our vision for this area can’t be achieved within budget constraints that we have, so this is an option for cost-sharing – going out in partnership with someone,” Cr Brittan said.
“We know we need parking, we know we need some quality services in our community, and that’s what we aim for.”
Fellow councillor Intaj Khan said the plan would transform Werribee into the true capital of the west.
“If the three sites get redeveloped, it will change the face of Werribee,” he said.
