Five properties along Flinders Street would go if a nine-storey twin towers development gets the nod.
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Plans for the project, which would see the demolition of shopfronts south of Lever's Art Supplies, have been lodged with Wollongong City Council.
The location at 32-40 Flinders Street is just north of the Gipps Street intersection and a proposed 201-apartment development on the site of Villa D'oro.
In total, the twin towers would provide 119 residential apartments with ground-floor commercial space for two businesses and a 76-place childcare centre.
The inclusion of commercial space comes despite the nearby Parq on Flinders development's ground-floor business spaces being largely empty since construction finished in late 2020.
Documents lodged as part of the application note the increasing development along the Flinders Street frontage.
"This locality is earmarked for significant renewal and revitalisation, which is already gaining momentum," the statement of environmental effects stated.
"As new development occurs, the site and precinct will play an increasingly important role in the arrival experience to the wider Wollongong City Centre."
Each tower will have two apartments on the ground floor and between two and eight apartments on each of the remaining floors.
They will be made up of 24 one-bedroom units, 75 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units.
There will be parking for 178 cars, which includes 13 commercial spaces and 26 visitor spots and another 26 for the childcare centre staff and visitors - leaving 110 spaces for residents of the apartments.
Access to the underground parking levels will be via Flinders Street at the northern edge of the proposed complex.
A traffic report noted that on-street parking along Flinders Street will be used if visitor spaces become full.
That report also noted that "the proposed development is expected to generate high number of additional trips in both AM and PM peak hours" but the nearby Gipps Street and Bourke Street intersections - both controlled by traffic lights - will be able to handle the extra vehicle movements.
"The additional trips can be accommodated in the nearby intersections without significantly affecting the performance of any turn movement, approach arm or the overall intersection," the traffic report stated.
"The traffic impacts of the proposed development are therefore considered acceptable."
The development application is on exhibition until April 15.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
