Andrew and Nicola, Forrest’s highly anticipated plans for the Spicer parking lot in the heart of Fremantle, have been unveiled as a $35 million, six-story boutique hotel.
If approved, the 2,834 sq. ft. car park adjacent to Fremantle Markets – once home to the Spicer & Detmold building – will become home to a 117-room boutique hotel.
The proposal includes shops, a parking basement for 48 cars, and a roof terrace with a swimming pool.
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Forrest’s Fiveight property division plans are the latest of several proposals from Perth’s biggest names looking to transform the port city.
Camera icon Plans for Tattarang’s Spicer hotel in Fremantle. Credit: delivered/delivered
The Prendiville family has plans to open a new hospitality area in the old technical school. In contrast, Angela Bennett has previously unveiled plans for an apartment complex in Fishing Boat Harbor, and Adrian Fini wants to develop the Italian Club.
Fiveight head John Meredith said there was “a way to go” before Fremantle fully recovered from the slump of recent years.
He said the commercial real estate group saw Fremantle as a great place to invest as it faces a 30 to 50-year transformation.
The design brief given to architects Smart Design Studio was to create a building sympathetic to historic buildings in the district.
Camera icon Andrew Forrest, billionaire and chairman of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. Credit: Nic Ellis/The West Australian
Meredith said the hotel would be built in a U-shape and contain a mix of room types, including six rooms designed for people with disabilities and more than three-quarters with balconies.
A generous courtyard space included a circular oculus open to the sky.
“We focused on the building’s height and scale, taking into account the existing urban fabric and strengthening the existing connections around the site and within the building itself,” he said. “Ultimately, we will create a premium hotel with mixed-use facilities for tourists, business visitors, and locals alike to enjoy.”
Tattarang chief executive Andrew Hagger said it would be a “destination hotel” that would fit comfortably alongside the harbor’s historic architecture.
Camera icons Andrew Hagger and Hannah Fitzhardinge. Credit: unknown/delivered
“We worked closely with the architects to create a lifestyle hotel concept that builds on Fremantle’s unique character and attitude to create a landmark building that brings people together,” he said.
A development application has been submitted to the City of Fremantle.
The Spicer site falls under Amendment 49 of the Local Planning Scheme, approved in 2012, which allows for additional building heights in key redevelopment sites in the city, provided certain design and heritage criteria are met.
Camera icon The Spicer site falls under Amendment 49 of the Local Planning Scheme. Credit: delivered/delivered
A maximum building height of 21 m in one section and 17.5 m in the other is permitted on the site.
How high the boutique hotel will be is unknown, but it is expected to comply broadly with urban planning regulations.
If the relevant authorities approve, construction will begin in a year, and the hotel will open in 2025.
