A Staff Street site which now houses two double-storey red brick homes was to make way for a nine-storey, 34-flat building with a ground floor medical centre, according to plans lodged in May.

However, in late July Wollongong City Council refused  consent  as it did not comply with design codes and was not consistent with the objectives of the medical precinct’s zone.

There were also concerns about the building’s floor space ratios, and its impact on the safety of surrounding streets.

Now, Vanovac Tuon Architects have lodged significantly amended plans which have ‘‘substantially reduced the residential floor space’’ and bumped up the medical centre space to 8 per cent.

The developers say this is the ‘‘maximum viable floor space’’ for the medical centre.

‘‘A greater component of medical use floor space has been considered but is not required in the community and would not be economically viable given the current existence and approvals for substantial medical centres in the immediate vicinity,’’ the plans say. The developer says the amended plans,  on exhibition until November 5, have overcome the council’s reasons for refusal and  will be assessed by the Independent Hearing and Assessment panel.