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'Henderson' Hotel Proposed by Andrew Forrest company
The site on which this hotel is proposed to be built was occupied by various businesses
16 September 2022: Fremantle Herald Saturday 17 September Page 2
6 September 2022: Who is Representing YOU? ['Henderson Hotel']
29 August 2022: Forrest – destroying the numbat was nothing compared to the size of his hotel! Can You Save the Historic Town?
25 August 2022: 1852 Heritage Wall Gone for Forrest's Oversized Hotel
18 August 2022: Why Forrest's Spicer Hotel Has to Change
17 August 2022: This Week's Herald, and the legacy of Andrew Forrest?
9 August 2022: Jeremy Dawkins on 6 Storey Spicer Site Forrest Hotel
5 August 2022: Save the Wall
28 July 2022: Expert Commentary on Spicer Site (Forrest Hotel) You Can Use in Your Submission
File:Freotopia society .. hotels img hendersonhotel4.jpg
(above: proposed 6 storey hotel in Henderson Street where original policy stated 2 to 4 storeys max. Two storey convict cottages of national importance are on the left.
The Fremantle Society has worked long and hard to assess and provide expert commentary on the Andrew Forrest 6 storey hotel proposal for the Spicer Site.
We have engaged architects outside the Society as well as our own, and have secured extensive commentary from former Western Australian Planning Commission chairman Jeremy Dawkins, who wrote the policy for the site, architect Carl Payne, and Fremantle's former heritage architect Agnieshka Kiera.
Material from Dawkins, Payne and Society President Dowson are in the current issue of the Fremantle Herald, with more commentary to follow in the next Herald.
In fact an International journalist was so impressed with the Spicer coverage, he walked into the Herald office this week and told them how refreshing it was to read such well written material.
But, unless YOU put in even the briefest of comments, you cannot complain when the centre of our heritage town gets further damaged by proposals like this overcalled one.
Submissions close tomorrow Friday 29 July. Please go to HAVE MY SAY. You can use any of our material if you wish.
The following piece is written by Fremantle Society committee member Agnieshka Kiera, who was the City of Fremantle Heritage Architect for decades:
Agnieshka Kiera:
"I strongly oppose the proposal submitted by Andrew Forrest to redevelop Spicers Site in its current form. Regardless of its alleged compliance with the general provisions of the planning policy, it would be disastrous redevelopment for Fremantle if it proceeds as proposed. The potential redevelopment of the Spicer site is critical to Fremantle. The site and Paddy Troy Mall form part of the significant historic town as defined in 2009, in the Fremantle City Council’s initial submission to the then Heritage Council of WA for State Heritage listing. The heritage assessment report prepared by Rosemary Rosario of Heritage and Conservation Professionals has outlined the substantially larger precinct of the city, defined as Fremantle Historic Town, as being of state heritage significance. It includes the Spicer site, Paddy Troy Mall, William and Adelaide Streets of Kings Square, the Town Hall, the pedestrianised section of High St, Market Street on both sides and Fremantle Railway Station (att.1).
The larger area underwent the statutory consultation process and received the preliminary endorsement of the Heritage Council of WA. Even though it was later defeated for political reasons, including the behind-the-scenes manipulations of the then Mayor of Fremantle, the sound heritage values and reasons for nominating Fremantle Historic Town as being of state significance, remain undeniable. Those values and reasons to protect the larger area have been already well articulated in the submissions by the former WAPC chairman and the City of Fremantle Director of Planning, Jeremy Dawkins; local architect Carl Payne; and the President of Fremantle Society, John Dowson.
"Too bulky, too tall"
I strongly agree and endorse their views and combined conclusions that the proposed development of the Spicer Site is plainly WRONG. It is too bulky, too tall by at least two levels and too alienating aesthetically to fit in the small urban grain of its immediate setting and the city as a whole. Its proposed architectural style is too contrasting to harmonise with the urban architecture of the city. The proposed building is too much aligned with the visual aesthetics of the 1970s parking station across the road, which in all expert evaluations, the publicised views of many prominent Fremantle personalities, and, most importantly, the community’s sentiments, have been defined as an abomination.
Thus the characteristics of the current proposal are contrary to the overriding premise of the Council’s local scheme and its many policy objectives for a harmonious and sustainable redevelopment of Fremantle. In my professional opinion as a heritage conservation specialist, there are already too many out-of-sync, out-of-scale, nondescript contemporary boxes around the heart of Fremantle that threaten to undermine and isolate the listed heritage area.
And the recently built Civic Centre is one of them. While I fully support the general argument of Carl Payne’s submission, I disagree with his concluding comments that the new Civic Centre has been well integrated with the heritage precinct. Therefore just one more out-of-scale and bulky contemporary box spreading out of the redevelopment block east and south of King Square into the historic town, can easily tip the already fragile balance between old and new to the point of no return. The point where the conventional ominous redevelopments would become the dominant feature of Fremantle thus isolating, if not ruining its identity and character as a relatively coherent, unique, creatively adapted, 19th-century port city.
"Urban Healing"
The heritage recommendations of the initially proposed larger area identify the Spicer site and Paddy Troy Mall as suitable for what Christopher Alexander defines as ‘healing’. Urban healing involves careful planning and redevelopment of a city by augmenting its significance, reinforcing its resilience and ensuring long-term sustainability in a harmonious way. The kind of infill redevelopment that would integrate the surviving heritage buildings (Sail and Anchor, Federal Hotel and across the streets, Fremantle Markets, Henderson Street cottages, former Technical College building, Town Hall) and the surviving, contributory buildings which hold the historic streetscape relatively intact, and harmonise it with the city’s small grain and character that makes Fremantle significant and precious, not only to the local community but to WA and Australia as a nation.
In the case of the historic town of Fremantle, the potential redevelopment of the Paddy Troy Mall block should provide a functional and visual link with the World Heritage Prison’s site and its buffer zone into clearly identifiable and coherent ‘whole’. Thus potentially healing this part of the city already damaged by the past demolitions and expedient constructions such as the warehouse currently used as the Food Hall next to Sail and Anchor. The City of Fremantle has already done all the preparatory work to assume both, the necessary level of control and guidance with confidence to know what to ask for from the potential developers.
Local Identity Code
Somewhere on the shelves of the city’s archives, gathering dust sits a precious Local Identity and Design Code for Central Fremantle. The LI&DC was prepared by the expert consultants to the City, Dr Jacek Dominiczak and Magda Zawadzka with contributions from the students of Curtin University. The main purpose of the study was to survey, study and define what constitutes Fremantle’s urban architecture and its unique character. The Code has been adopted by Council in 2009 as a community resource and a guide to compatible development for anyone interested, including developers. The Design Code was prepared as a planning tool, a practical and specific manual translating the relevant and, by nature, general policy provisions, into the architectural design language. The Spicer Site Design Code was prepared as a particular design framework for implementation of the 1992 Conservation Policy for the West End,1987 Spicer Site Policy, 2008 Conservation Management Plan for the Synagogue Precinct, 2008 Conservation Management Plan for Fremantle Markets and the 2008 Fremantle Prison Heritage Precinct Masterplan.
It is about time that the City of Fremantle made good use of its own planning resources such as the Local Identity and Design Code. It should be used as a tool that enables both, clarification of the Council’s own rules and clear direction to individual entrepreneurs undertaking construction works in Central Fremantle. The Code reduces the current uncertainty in interpreting Council’s policies and clearly defines what is likely to be approved by Council. At the time of its adoption, the Code has been sceptically received by some local architects as too ‘restrictive” because it challenges the developers’, architects' and designers’ ‘freedom’ to fulfil their own professional ambitions as they see fit. Instead it is encouraging them to put their talents to good use within the defined framework. As the former Government Architect, Geoff Warn of Donaldson & Warn, once assured me while working together on the numerous and much loved Fremantle projects: talented architects are not afraid of rules and regulations as they appreciate the challenge of constraints and the opportunity to express their creativity in many unexpected ways. Geoff Warn has officially endorsed the Local Identity and Design Code and used it to come up with the unique plan for the much loved Old Port of Fremantle Project. The project received the Royal Institute of Architects’ award in the urban design category, for the creative design of a unique, locally relevant and aesthetically appealing public space that amplifies its significance and extends its lasting values into the future. In addition, the project prompted the developer of the adjacent, formerly neglected Co-op building, to redevelop it into a very attractive and popular complex of shops and restaurants.
Model: Old Port Project
Thus in the case of the Old Port Project the three basic attributes of good planning and good architecture: the aesthetic, functionality and endurance, together with the heritage-informed and conservation inspired redevelopment have revived the area and added to the resilience, sustainability, and heritage-inspired, urban development of Fremantle, ensuring that it continues. This should serve as a model for all infill developments within the historic town Fremantle, including the Spicer site."
Addendum by Fremantle Society: There are many issues and we haven't even mentioned the heritage limestone wall that is intended to be demolished. Despite there being a pre-goldrush limestone wall on the property, Fremantle Council voted in March 2022 to allow the developer to demolish it if he wanted and perhaps reconstitute it elsewhere as his contribution to "public art." The developers have indicated they wish to demolish that wall by the end of July.
John Dowson
President
The Fremantle Society
0409223622
26 July 2022: Point Street Deal - Just as Bad as Spicer Site Deal?
File:Freotopia society .. hotels img hendersonhotel3.jpg 
The top photo shows the Andrew Forrest proposal for the Spicer Site on Henderson Street.
A 6 storey disaster for the low scale famous heritage town around it (submissions close this Friday 29th July)
The second image shows the overscaled 7 storey proposal for the Point Street site which was approved but not built. The owner of the property SKS Land Pty Ltd, who paid $10 million for the property to Council in 2012, wishes to sell it, and Wednesday 27th July council will vote to allow that, unless the two councillors who voted against the sale at committee (Crs Camarda and Vujcic) can convince their colleagues to consider the better option of buying the property back as allowed under the previous sale agreement for the price sold ($10 million) or current market value, whichever is the lower, and selling it themselves.
Sirona, council's partner in the 10 year 'revitalisation' projects which have smashed council finances but made Sirona millions of dollars, appear to be the ones interested in buying this property! Sirona are distressed asset specialists, and perhaps smell a bargain now that the adjacent wool stores have been sold for $7 million and may soon be developed.
Sirona bought the Spicer site cheaply in 2012 and then unsold it for $1 million profit after not developing it. Will they be doing this again with this site, and why hasn't council learnt from their previous bad deals? Why does it seem there are only two councillors, Camarda and Vujcic, who care about ratepayer assets and the council's finances.
The Tagliaferri council survived the GFC, paid off council debt, and reduced vacancies. The Pettitt council, of whom many remain, gave Fremantle a 'revitalisation' that has seen a massive sell off of council income producing assets, falling rents, and barely any growth in the value of CBD properties.
The 8 Point Street property after 10 years may be worth $11.2 to $11.7 million as estimated by council, or less than $10 million. But councillors should not be handing any potential profit to a private company without fully exploring options as outlined in Cr Vujcic's motion for Wednesday night.
====== References and Links
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For the site on which this hotel is proposed to be built, see: various pages (in historical order) for the Carter brothers, William Bartram, Detmold, and Spicer.
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 6 June, 2023 and hosted at freotopia.org/society/campaign/hendersonhotel.html (it was last updated on 11 May, 2024). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.