Poor cheese-grater sales spark scale-it-down call

By BEN SCHNEIDERS

FITZROY residents have called on the developers of the "cheese-grater" site to come back with a revised and less ambitious plan, after the project was put on hold due to poor sales.

Project architect Ivan Rijavec confirmed last week the project was on hold and said there was no time frame on when a decision would be made on its future.

He said it had suffered from poor market conditions. "The market is the way it is, we have to work things out, it's really that simple," he said.

The eight-storey development is known as the cheese-grater because of its cylindrical towers. Bound by Napier, Kerr, Young and Argyle streets, it is also known as NKYA.

President of the Fitzroy Residents Association Geoff Barbour now wants a new design for the site.

"I'm calling on the owners of that site to commence discussions on a replacement design so that it can be scaled down," he said.

He said the developers should involve the community in that process.

Mr Barbour said it was sad it had taken so long for the project to stall as some of the 300 objectors had already moved house.

"They didn't want to live near that overpowering project," he said.

Mr Rijavec also confirmed that despite the project being on hold, demolition of the site would start shortly, after delays in getting approval from Yarra Council.

Locals have complained that demolition delays have caused the site to become a haven for squatters and a reason for more theft in the area.

Mr Rijavec would not confirm if he was being bought out of the project by one of his partners, Tony Schiavello. Mr Schiavello, who is a shareholder in Ashlyn Enterprises along with Mr Rijavec, did not return TMT's calls.