Canberra Club annexe to go

Developer Morris Property Group, which bought the building from property investment company PrimeSpace in June, has lodged the development application for the project with the ACT Planning and Land Authority.

It paves the way for the construction of a 16-storey residential and retail building following the demolition of the Canberra Club annexe on the corner of West Row and Alinga Street.

The proposed tower will consist of new ground floor retail spaces in addition to an internal arcade, a three-storey above ground car park for 254 cars and a 12-storey residential complex with 191 apartments.

The apartments will include one, two and three bedroom designs and the building will also have a gymnasium and outdoor courtyard.

There will also be new landscaped areas around the building including opportunities for new outdoor cafe and seating areas along Alinga Street and in the forecourt to the west of Canberra House.

The Canberra House office tower and basement will be retained.

Morris Property Group Canberra director Louise Morris said the project would help renew part of the city centre and provide urban infill rather than perpetuating suburban sprawl.

She said feedback from the existing retail tenants as well as neighbours and community groups had been put back into the final plan lodged with the planning authority.

Ms Morris said the new ground-floor retail space would be offered to existing tenants as well as new, but could not confirm at this stage how many would remain.

"The majority of current ground-floor tenants have indicated their desire to take up premises in the new building following completion of the proposed development," she said.

"Some tenants are uncertain as to whether they will remain on site, however numbers are not known at this stage."

Ms Morris expected parties' intentions to firm up once the start date was confirmed.

Affected tenants include the Wig and Pen brewpub, whose owner Lachlan McOmish had previously indicated he was looking for a new site.

The Canberra Club, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2011, will not be part of the new development, but management have not yet confirmed a new location.

Morris Property Group, whose other projects include the Sentinel apartments in Belconnen, Habitat in Braddon and joint-venture Governor Place in Barton, purchased Canberra House for $35.8 million in June.

Redevelopment options for Canberra House, including converting the arcade into a 12-storey residential block, had been floated in recent years by the building's previous owner, PrimeSpace.

Ms Morris said it was anticipated it would take about six months to secure approval for the site and once this occurred, and apartment presale levels were achieved, demolition and construction work would begin.

"We would ideally like to see this project commencing later next year," she said.

It would take about 20 months to complete following the beginning of the demolition.

She said that because the development application had now been lodged it would be made publicly available.