Tower trimmed: Lavington high-rise not so high

The Albury council has received updated plans, including a new facade. It will lease the ground floor of the building, between Wagga and Griffith roads, for the Lavington Library.

The tower was to be six floors, but with floor plates changed and a balcony on the south-western corner deleted, the space will be slightly less than the design the council approved.

It amounts to 223 square metres less than the original 3970 square metres.

The building’s height has been reduced 3.2 metres, but owner Garry Zauner said there was scope to add a sixth floor.

“We will look at the roof as a feature in future,” he said.

“We’ve made the floor plates slightly bigger and they work better.

“The only way to make floors bigger and keep the car spaces the same was to take a floor off.

“I am very comfortable with the look of it.

“It will still blow people’s socks off in terms of scale and presence.”

Northpoint Tower will take on a more contemporary look than the Gardens Medical Centre, which Zauner Construction built in central Albury and opened in 2008.

Similar to the medical centre, Northpoint Tower will have a cafe on the ground floor with pergola.

“The concept hasn’t changed, the overall number of car parks have increased, the floor area is negligibly different,” Mr Zauner said.

“We’ve changed the architecture a little bit.”

The tower will be completed between Easter and June next year. Contractors are now working on the third floor.

It is being built on Zauner-owned land and adjoining a row of shops and professional offices the company created by revamping the former Betta Electrical store.

Zauner will have its headquarters in the building and the Lavington Library will occupy 450 square metres.

That space is being leased to the council for $144,000 a year.

The council is set to determine the new application under delegated authority rather than full council.