[4] By 2002, the group formally submitted plans to the State Government for a 225–metre (738-foot) tall residential skyscraper – in the midst of oversupply or "glut" concerns within the inner–city apartment market.

[5] Nevertheless, the $AUD230 million project, then dubbed 'Prima on Southbank', would have been one of the tallest residential buildings in Melbourne, only surpassed by the nearby Eureka Tower (under–construction at the time), but considerably taller than Freshwater Place North, which was also being constructed in 2002 adjacent to the Prima development.

The 63–level skyscraper was designed by Australian architect, Ivan Rijavec, and the project would have comprised 332 residential apartments.

Schiavello challenged the condition for approval at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which upheld the skyscraper's initial height on the basis that the design was "exemplary".

Initially, the proposal submitted to the Minister for Planning was for a skyscraper which would be identical in height to the previous design; however, the number of apartments within the building almost doubled to 616.