The 1998 victory propelled an extensive consultation process with City of Port Phillip, Becton Corporation, State Government and the Esplanade Alliance, which resulted in comprehensive planning guidelines being adopted for the entire site in 2002. Known as Amendment C25, these guidelines have been incorporated as a key part of the City of Port Phillip Planning Scheme. (see appendix for details - Stages to Amendment C25).
Amendment C25 is ground breaking in its effort to enshrine the Espy's continuing cultural use as one of the key values to be protected in any development approval.
Height has always been a hot issue for this site, but there are other issues as well, namely the survival and evolution of the Espy culture, the heritage value of other buildings on the site marked for demolition (e.g. Baymor Court) and the visual/social/amenity impact of another tower on the St Kilda foreshore. Taking all this into account, Amendment C25 allows an increase in height from the original six-storeys to 10-storeys, on the condition that these other issues are recognised and met by any proposed development on the site.
The historic hotel and Baymor Court buildings are also protected under the heritage provisions of the Port Phillip Planning Scheme
This webpage is maintained by Cyndy
Vogelsang on behalf of the Esplanade Alliance