A development application will be lodged on Monday morning for a $38 million 26-storey development on the Sam’s Warehouse site in Wollongong.
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PRD Architects director Peter Rasa said the application, to be lodged on behalf of the Harrison family’s Emibarb Property Trust, was for the site bounded by Railway Parade, Rawson Street and Waters Place.
‘‘It is basically about 1400 square metres of commercial and 79 units,’’ Mr Rasa said.
‘‘The commercial is on its own on one level and there are two basement levels under it.’’
In the tower above, there will be three units on each level.
Mr Rasa said each unit in the slender tower would have terrific views.
‘‘It is an 80-metre height limit... and we fully comply with all council’s codes,’’ he said.
Mr Rasa said the development tied in well with others in the western end of the CBD, which was quickly becoming a more attractive investment.
‘‘We are starting to work our way up Crown Street,’’ he said.
‘‘Now we are becoming more urbanised with lots of commuting, this area is close to the station, close to the mall and close to a whole range of facilities and the hospital. So it is a lot more attractive now for people because it is so convenient.’’
Mr Rasa said like the new GPT development, it was designed to look different and he expected a lot more dynamic designs would start to appear in the city.
He said he had never seen so many people in the city centre as he did on Thursday and there was a real vibe emerging.
‘‘The whole character of Wollongong is changing,’’ he said.
Mr Rasa said it was an exciting time to be an architect after five fairly tough years in Wollongong.
‘‘You imagine when that development is done, the Regent Street development is done, the private hospital is done, the Masonic site is done along with the Dwyers and Oxford Hotel sites...it is going to be amazing.’’
George Harrison said the development, to be called Skytower, was the largest Emibarb Property Trust had done.
Mr Harrison said he was keen to see the western end of town develop ever since he was lord mayor and the time was right.
‘‘There is a lot of potential there,’’ he said.
‘‘We used to want to live near the waterfront but now a lot of people want to live near the main transport links.
‘‘Being near the railway and being near the town now the GPT development has opened up, it is all one connection now. From that site you are within five minutes walking distance of pretty much everything. That end of town is no longer a poor cousin...it is starting to become a first cousin.’’