A grant of $7.2m for infrastructure works was announced by the Federal Housing Minister on April 18 and the SMDA quickly followed this with its Affordable Housing Strategy (see ) and its Draft Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the infrastructure and early works associated with the delivery of the affordable housing. While the SMDA does not need a development application for these works it has placed its proposal on exhibition until May 15 before it is finalised. The buildings to go onto this site will need to go through a normal DA process.
The SMDA proposes to locate the affordable housing at the western end of the North Eveleigh site. The building blocks, roads, infrastructure works and demolition of buildings proposed are in accordance with the North Eveleigh Concept Plan. The works proposed include a new road parallel to Wilson Street that links to the road between CarriageWorks and the Eveleigh Market. The current entrance off Wilson Street will be modified to join the new street.
The proposed work includes associated car parking, footpaths, landscaping, telecommunications, electricity distribution, stormwater management, land remediation and sewer and water reticulation. It also includes the proposed demolition of the Timber Shed extension, Reclamation Shed and Air Raid Sheds to allow for the construction of the road and water reticulation works.
The 61 units of affordable housing are expected to be in two of the three new buildings proposed along the new street, the fourth building on the street is the existing clothing store. These new buildings are expected to be four storeys in line with the Concept Plan with the top two storeys to the north fronting on to Wilson Street. Following finalisation of railway requirements, there will be two 8-12 storey building blocks towards the railway line which will be available for residential development.
While Sydney University has previously expressed interest in this part of the site for student accommodation, it is now looking to locate more student housing within its existing campus. Depending on when the remaining sites go to market interest may only be from private developers.
