The new owners of the Nine network television station site at Willoughby, in Sydney's north, the Hong Kong-based property investor Euro Properties, has again raised the ire of local residents, after submitting a new, higher-density plan for its planned residential project.
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Euro Properties paid $147.5 million for the three-hectare site in August 2015 and lodged plans with the Land and Environment Court and NSW Planning Assessment Commission for residential towers with maximum height of eight storeys, being with 400 apartments and 500 square metres of commercial space.
But while there are positive design aspects to the modified plan, the new plan is for heights up to 12 storeys, and 510 apartments. The locals are not happy and have been holding many community meetings.
According to the residents, the proposed changes are too high and will set a precedent for further development in the area. The submissions, which are due in by September 5, say 12, 11 and nine-storey apartment blocks on the highest part of the site will strongly downgrade the built environment.
Under the sale agreement, Nine Entertainment still has a four-year lease, but is actively looking at new sites across Sydney in a search being conducted by the station's manager, Scott Soutar in conjunction with Colliers International.
The brief is for about 16,000 square metres, or about 10 floors of space, that can accommodate offices, up to five studios and about 85 car spaces for the television broadcasting vans.
The front runner is the Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park, with the lease owned by Gerry Harvey and John Singleton, which will be redeveloped, or possibly around the so-called media hub at Pyrmont.
