New $230 million student tower planned for King’s Square in the city to draw inspiration from trendy St Kilda

A plan for a $230 million modern student tower, which draws inspiration from trendy St Kilda, has been proposed for the final lot at King’s Square in the city. The 21-storey tower proposed for lot 19, adjacent to the upcoming ECU campus, will include 1146 double beds — with 68 per cent in their own room — as the design seeks to move away from single-bed-style dorm rooms. A planning report lodged with DevelopmentWA shows 17 per cent twin-share rooms and15 per cent includes four or five individual bedrooms, with a shared kitchen. The tower, proposed by South Perth developer Erben, also includes 14 cars bays — some of which will be for shared EV cars in the all-electric complex. A 24-hour reception area in the residents’ lobby, on the corner of Roe and Queen streets, will link up to Karak Walk, which is expected to become a new and busy pedestrian thoroughfare. The lobby will have space for pop-up events and stalls. The planning report claims a student courtyard follows a design precedent set by Village Belle in St Kilda, with indoor greenery and high ceilings. In a sign of increasingly sensitive student housing designs, the communal areas will be divided into loud zones for games and sports, quiet zones for studying, and a third area for health and wellness. Podiums will provide opportunities for large-format entertainment operators to host events, while food and beverage venues on the ground floor will be open to the public. DevelopmentWA is seeking public comment by June 9.