Canberra House to get apartments - The Canberra Times

Local business owners stand outside of the Canberra House Arcade on West Row in Civic. Photo: Melissa Adams

An apartment block with shops will replace part of Canberra House in West Row following the acquisition of the site by the Morris Property Group.

Director Louise Morris confirmed the company had come to a commercial arrangement off the market with the previous building owners, property investment company PrimeSpace, at the end of last month.

She said the company was finalising discussions with the tenants in the building before lodging a development application with the ACT Planning and Land Authority in about two weeks.

The proposal for the site calls for the Canberra House office tower and its basement to be maintained and a new apartment building and shops to be built on the site of the Canberra Club and office annex.

Ms Morris said the apartment block - which would consist of a podium structure containing shopfronts, car parking and units - would be about the same scale as the existing building.

"It's obviously an iconic position in Canberra - it's an important building in city west," she said. "We believe that the best use for this site is residential."

She said the redevelopment would enliven retailing and attract more people to the area.

The retail centre on the site will be rebuilt and premises provided for existing and new tenants.

The Canberra Club, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2011, will not be a part of the new mixed-use site.

Ms Morris said the company had resolved commercial terms with the club and she understood it would be seeking other premises.

Canberra Club management could not reached for comment, but The Canberra Times reported in October last year that the club was considering a move to the Canberra North Bowling Club site in Turner if it became available. The lease on the site expires in November.

Ms Morris said feedback from stakeholders and tenants would be used to finalise the plans for the project and more details would be made available following the lodgment of the development application.

Colliers International state chief executive Paul Powderly said Canberrans were shifting more and more towards medium- and high-density living and he expected the development would be popular.