The western end of Crown St could get a major facelift if a Sydney developer's vision for a 10-storey shop-top housing complex in West Wollongong is realised.Vranas Properties, headed by Brighton-Le Sands man Nick Vranas, has lodged a development application with Wollongong City Council to construct the 79-unit apartment block close to Wollongong Hospital, opposite the Wollongong Day Surgery.The project will include two ground-floor shops and nine storeys of residential living, with a combined capital investment value of about $12.6 million.Mr Vranas, who also runs the chain of NAPF Electronics stores in south-west Sydney, said the proposed development would be positive for Wollongong."I believe it will improve the city and make a difference," he said. "It would be good for employment too."Mr Vranas said he hoped the building's close proximity to the hospital would make it an attractive option for doctors or nurses wanting to live close to work.He said the units would be "affordable" for families, but no individual unit price had been set as yet.When asked who was funding the venture, Mr Vranas admitted he was yet to find backers for the project, saying that would be the next stage of the development once he got the go-ahead from the council.The application seeks to demolish two single-storey homes to make way for the building, with documents detailing the plan saying the development would "re-activate the prominent site and stimulate commercial activity in the vicinity of Wollongong"."The proposal incorporates new retail and residential accommodation ... [it] will also act as a 'gateway' building at the western end of the city centre," the application said.Three levels of basement parking would provide 114 vehicle spaces.The accompanying environmental report acknowledged that the proposed building was higher than most others in the suburb and may appear "large in the short term", however it said the scale was consistent with the council's planning controls for the site and it was likely adjoining properties would be redeveloped on a larger scale in the future.The application has been referred to the Joint Regional Planning Panel for consideration and is currently on public exhibition.For details visit www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au.