Evolution, a nine-level commercial and residential building, is the latest of several big-budget projects on the drawing board.

The $9million building, to sit in Crown Lane opposite GPT’s soon to be constructed West Keira shopping centre, will feature 16 apartments and 3336sqm of commercial floor space.

A 20-storey, 77-apartment complex is also proposed for a site in Rawson St, while GPT is finalising concept plans for a residential tower above Keira St.

Colliers International Wollongong’s residential manager

Michael Henley, who is marketing Evolution, said West Crown St was undergoing a rebirth.

‘‘You won’t recognise that area at all shortly, it will be completely transformed and will be the modern part of Wollongong,’’ he said.

‘‘I think more and more we’re seeing the retail sector of Wollongong is struggling but with all this residential lifestyle living coming in we’ll see retail supported and the creation of a lot more service-style businesses to service the increasing population.’’

Evolution was approved by Wollongong City Council in May last year but developer Edward Saffoury is now actively seeking parties to lease or buy its four levels of commercial floor space.

The property will have a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and two and four-bedroom top-floor penthouses.

Demolition and construction work will begin early next year.

West Crown St is expected to be transformed over the next two years, with businesses in the path of the $250million GPT development already vacating Crown St and Keira St shopfronts before the site is razed later this year.

Work on the six-storey shopping centre is expected to take two years to finish.

The 20-storey Rawson St tower, proposed by entrepeneur Abdulaziz Al Mashal, could be completed by 2013 should it gain the required approvals.

It would be built on the old Wollongong Telephone Exchange site, to the west of the Evolution development.