Exciting signs of progress will soon be apparent in Launch Bay (formerly the Marlborough Precinct), the waterside site under development between Jimmy’s Point, Launch Road and Catalina Bay. Developer, Winton Partners, plans to start civil works in the area in October when the current remediation work being undertaken by HLC concludes. The civil works will transform the precinct through the addition of roads, a lookout at Jimmy’s Point, street trees, seating and a playful park on the east side of the Oval.

Winton Partners are also progressing the various dwellings planned for the precinct, construction of which is expected to start in 2019. In time, Launch Bay will combine four former Officer’s houses and 13 standalone homes with potentially 300 apartments (including the conversion of the existing seaplane hangar on Launch Road into eight loft-style dwellings centered around an internal courtyard).

The Officer’s houses are in the process of being repainted with landscaping, driveways and new garages to be completed by Christmas. Once subdivided into individual housing lots, these historic homes will be available to buy in 2018. Plans for all of the proposed new buildings have also been signed off by HLC’s design review panel and the first apartments are expected on the market in the first half of 2018.