Alternative options to demolition explored, but housing priorities should come first says Advance Housing boss

The heritage-listed Norman House on Stirling Terrace faces demolition after a community-based housing organisation spent five years exploring other options. Advance Housing Ltd. plans to demolish the 19th-century building and replace it with a two-storey residential apartment building designed in a similar style as part of proposed housing development now open for public comment. Chief executive John Lysaught said his organisation and its partners had explored multiple options for alternative uses of Norman House over the past five years. “Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to attract and commit the required investment to achieve this,” he said. “As a not-for-profit with limited resources and massive demand across the housing continuum, AHL must apply every available resource we have to increase housing supply in our community. “This includes redeveloping latent assets to better meet community needs.” AHL’s plans, as revealed in the Advertiser last year, would involve building 25 dwellings across four lots in central Albany. Mr Lysaught said AHL had endeavoured to respectfully engage with all those who provided feedback following the original announcement of the plans. He said a “vast majority” of feedback had been positive so far amid the ongoing housing crisis with praise for the project’s proposed “innovative” mix of resident and ownership. “Demand for social, worker, and privately owned housing continues to grow rapidly at the same time as new housing supply is slowing which has been well publicised,” he said. “The project presents a great opportunity to capitalise on the location for a broad cross-section of the community, including private homeowners, community housing tenants and affordable worker renters that would not normally have access to CBD adjacent housing. “It will enrich the inner Albany community fabric through more people from more backgrounds, living in the heart of town.” He said the organisation was keen to get the project off the ground and would respond to any potential conditions in due course. “AHL will respond to any conditions arising out the JDAP process and endeavour to accommodate any appropriate suggestions to the project plan to ensure that we are able to maximise the application of our resources to meet growing community need,” he said. Plans and associated documents, including the heritage impact statements, are available on the City’s website. The public comment period runs until September 25.