REDFERN: Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) submitted its rezoning proposal for the PCYC site and adjoining land at 600-660 Elizabeth Street to City of Sydney Council (CoS) on February 28.
The site is the first government-backed mixed tenure build-to-rent residential development in Australia. Mick Cassel, the LAHC Executive Officer, said, “This model is a new initiative for the NSW Government and allows us to retain ownership of the land and leverage the private and not-for-profit sectors to help deliver new housing and open space for the community.”
The media release states: “About 400 new homes will be constructed, subject to development approval.” The number of homes proposed has been reduced significantly from the “around 500 new homes” proposed during the Redfern community consultation in mid-October 2019.
The majority of the site will be seven storeys or less. During the consultation over 90 per cent of the site was nine storeys or less. The tallest building in the consultation plans was on the corner of Walker and Kettle Streets, which was to be 15-19 storeys. There is no indication of the maximum height proposed on the site.
The brochure states: “LAHC is working with the PCYC to support its relocation to a new site within the local neighbourhood.” There is no indication that LAHC has acted on the request for a community centre on the site to service the Redfern public housing estate.
LAHC has already short-listed three consortia do the development. It will choose the successful developer while the planning process is underway. The three are:
- John Laing-led consortium including Compass Housing Services,
- Frasers Property and Hume Community Housing Association, and
- Capella Capital, Lendlease Building and Evolve Housing.
Initial planning work for the site was under the state government rules. CoS will now determine the rezoning in conjunction with the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) and the Department of Planning Industry and Environment (DPIE). Public exhibition will follow approval from CoS, CSPC and DPIE and the aim is for development to be completed in 2025.
