Timing update plus schedules of fixtures and finishes

Spoke to Ceerose today, who said we would receive an email this week with an update on timing. The delays have been due to factors around the site, not in the building itself.

And thanks to Mario who posted this comment:

Noticed this on the village website - another guide to when we can move in 

Property Overview
For Lease - Register Now
Available From:
Friday, 16th Oct 2015
Features:
Area Views

Received a question on the blog on finishes, so here's the schedule we received when we bought the apartments. Lots of goodies to look forward to.

Inside some apartments, and work-in-progress

Inside the apartments, the floorboards are down, and kitchens and bathrooms seem almost completed. Here's a typical lounge/kitchen combination from an owner who chose the darker finish for the kitchen cupboards. Lot of lights and an open plan.

Bathrooms are stylish with Villeroy & Boch basin and WC plus Grohe fittings. Maybe the angle of the camera, but is the mirror a bit high? 

This is an earlier photo taken some months ago, just before the floorboards were down, looking from the window towards the built-ins, and across the corridor to the bathroom. This will be the standard appearance in most bedrooms, but the flooring will make a massive difference.

What we really want to know is, when can we move in? My latest call to Ceerose has not been returned. It's nearly September, and I hate to say it, but there still seems a fair bit of work to do outside. The gracious side of me thinks Ceerose is putting a lot of effort into making the final product a top quality job, rather than finishing it later. For example, in the second photograph below, they are now installing kerbing down each side of the driveway, which will look good.

But look at all those pipes at the end of the drive yet to be installed. Gulp!!!

Announcement on new Ultimo/Pyrmont Public School

Here's a question posted on the blog by Amanda:

"Thanks for all the updates. Can someone tell me, is the school in or out of current plans?"

Amanda, the NSW Government did announce plans to acquire the council depot underneath HM for a new 1,000 student school. Then they abandoned their plans and decided to knock down and rebuild the existing school which is about 100 metres away from HM along Jones Street. So there will still be a new school nearby, just not right next to HM, and not finished for a few years.

For me, this is disappointing for a couple of reasons: first, I thought it would be good to have a school next door, for the energy and interest it would create. Second, we now do not know what the land will be used for. Best outcome - a new inner city park, but that's probably too much to hope for. 

I found this announcement about the new school in a leaflet dropped in Pyrmont. Click on it to enlarge if it's difficult to read. There's a website for further updates plus community consultation, but not much chance they are listening, as most residents wanted the school in the new location.

More photos from inside

These are what we really wanted to see!

Jono's photographs

Thanks to Jono for these photographs. It's looking great, a high standard of finish, although it shows work still to be done. Hard to know why these last few weeks (and months) are dragging on, as there are always workmen on the site when we visit.

Path to light rail platform is installed

The public works to access the light rail has been a major piece of work, to be used by anyone coming from Pyrmont, not only the HM residents. The stairs are so large that, like the Great Wall of China, they can be seen from outer space.

The path itself is wide, amid the trees and shrubs, and neatly kerbed on each side. A good result.

This is the point where it connects to the light rail platform, so it's easy access. With the massive expansion of the light rail down George Street and to Randwick, this direct connection will be a major feature of HM.

And there continues to be work done on the stairs themselves, which connect with this path.

Update on completion ... until it changes

Thanks to all the people who contributed to the last post. An interesting discussion.

Let's start with a good photograph. The roof garden area on the lower building is looking terrific, capturing the morning sun from the east.

We spoke to Ceerose today and they said:

1. At the moment, inspections are still expected by the end of August (maybe start of September) with completion end of September. However, it's difficult to be definitive because so many agencies such as council, rail and road are involved given the unique location. Each has to provide a completion certificate and can hold things up.

2. One of the comments in the last blog suggested the Jones Street road would be widened by narrowing the footpath. Ceerose did not know anything about this, so it sounds unlikely. As the following photograph shows, while the footpath is indeed very wide, a narrowing would require the trees and posts to be removed.

3. The other comment about the need to install drainage pipes is correct, and a heap of pipes have been delivered to the site and pipework has started at the front (Jones Street) side. All the concrete has been dug up here. The external lift remains shrouded in plastic.  

4. Finally the comment about people using Jones Street and HM to deliver children to the school - the school is no longer being built below HM. But I guess it's possible people might use Jones Street to drop passengers at the light rail - let's hope this does not become common.

So, folks, some way to go but Ceerose is doing all it can.