Pentridge Prison turned into a hotel

The iconic former Pentridge Prison site in Coburh is to be transformed into a 19 storey hotel and apartment tower.

The proposal has been given the green light by the Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

VCAT had approved the amended design for the Adina apartments.

Pentridge was one of the most famous prisons in Australia. It was the site of the last execution in Australia, with the hanging of Ronald Ryan. It is also the burial site for Ned Kelly.

The complex is being converted by the Shayher Group. They are taking a structure built in the 1800s and turning it into a retail, commercial, entertainment and residential precinct

The prison’s B Division will become the Adina Tower on the corner of Champs Street and Pentridge Boulevard.

Inside the tower, there will be a restaurant, 400 square metres of conference facilities, a rooftop terrace, an indoor pool and a gym. There are also plans for 151 parking spaces across three basement levels.

But the Pentridge heritage will be retained with the design retaining the exterior and some interior bluestone wall including the eastern panopticon. 

VCAT had previously rejected the proposed development, saying it was unconvinced the design and external appearance of the tower was acceptable.

VCAT said the revised plans were a “sophisticated design response that has addressed our concerns.”

The new design creates six more hotel rooms and four more apartments. It will also have more than 120 hotel rooms and 56 apartments.

The five metre bluestone wall, which runs around the periphery of the former prison site, will be cantilevered by the tower by about 500 millimetres for a width of about 3.1 metres.

The council objected to the proposal, arguing the amended design would have an unacceptable visual impact on the surrounding streets, including Sydney road, and on the public spaces.

Leon Gettler - 17th July 2018