A surface car park will be transformed into an office precinct with buildings up to 11 storeys tall, in a developer's vision to revive a long-forgotten part of Civic.
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Developer Morris Property Group has lodged a works approval application with the National Capital Authority for the first stage of The Barracks.
Set across three buildings, the precinct is planned to include about 60,000 square metres of office space and 2500 square metres of retail.
The project follows on from Morris Property Group's neighbouring One City Hill project, which is nearing completion along Vernon Circuit.
Standing on the car park that will eventually make way for The Barracks, Morris Property Group chief operating officer James Morris said the project would breath new life into the "underutilised" City West precinct.
Morris Property Group is seeking the National Capital Authority's approval for the basement works at The Barracks. It includes four levels of underground parking with more than 850 car spaces.
A separate works approval will be submitted in the future for the building works.
There has been criticism in the past about the naming choice for the new development, given the site isn't known to have served any military purposes.
But The Barracks is simply a name the developer believes will "hold its own both now and into the future".
"I suppose we just saw it as being quite a strong name for the precinct generally and for Canberra," Mr Morris said.
The group is targeting five-star energy ratings across the fully electric buildings.
Morris Property Group has an in-house construction team that will build The Barracks.
Mr Morris said it was sad to see a number of building companies collapse recently in Canberra and Queensland, where Morris Property Group also operates.
He said being a builder-developer has helped the company weather the challenges many other construction firms had faced.
"As a Canberra family business we've been able to take on a lot of that pressure over the years and establish ourselves such that we can work through some of the challenges which the industry is facing now," Mr Morris said.
One City Hill a 'long time coming'
The office floor space of The Barracks is almost double that of One City Hill, which Morris Property Group has been building since late 2019.
After a pause in construction due to COVID-19 and a shift from apartments to offices, the development's striking curved facade now stands tall along Vernon Circuit.
The group is completing the external works and aims to have the building finished and ready for future tenants by December.
One City Hill will include 35,000 square metres of office space and 800 square metres of retail. It too will be fully electric, in line with the federal government's net zero target for the public service.
At this stage, Morris Property Group will leave the building as a "cold shell" to give prospective tenants the opportunity to design the fit out to suit their requirements.
There was speculation the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts and Austrade were poised to move into One City Hill, but the move did not eventuate.
Mr Morris would not comment on the move but said the developer has been in negotiations "with a number of different tenants".
He said a mix of private and public sector tenants was expected across One City Hill and The Barracks.
"At this stage we haven't been successful in any Commonwealth government processes to date. Obviously there's a few going on at the moment, which we hope to be a part of," Mr Morris said.
Reviving City West
There's plenty of development happening in City West, including the $60 million project to raise London Circuit and make way for the next stage of the light rail.
Developers are seeing plenty of opportunity in this pocket of the city, which sits to the west of City Hill and borders Acton.
Opposite The Barracks, HTI Group has proposed a 15-storey hotel and office on London Circuit.
Around the corner on University Avenue, Bulum Group has submitted plans for a pair of residential towers of up to 15 storeys tall.
The City Renewal Authority is expected to announce the successful developer for a 19,000-square-metre block of land opposite the QT hotel in May.
Once complete, The Barracks and One City Hill is envisioned to be a vibrant hub of activity, with retail and dining dotted throughout the buildings.
Mr Morris said the works approval, which is due to be notified online in the coming days, is a significant step forward in the "rejuvenation" of City West.