In addition to the day surgery ward with 18 beds, the development would include a medical centre with seven suites and 75 specialist suites.

The development, at 411-417 Crown Street would involve the demolition of one house at 411 Crown Street and the excavation and rehabilitation of a former Caltex service station.

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The plans, submitted by Coveston Developments are the latest iteration of the redevelopment of what are currently vacant lots.

In 2012, Vranas Properties, headed by Brighton-Le-Sands property developer Nick Vranas, lodged plans for a 10-storey shop-top housing development which ultimately did not eventuate.

Nick Vranas has returned to the site, this time under the name of Coveston Properties, with the updated plans for a medical centre.

"That service is needed for the area," Mr Vranas said.

"With the private hospital opposite we would like to make it a medical hub in that area."

The design of the proposed medical centre includes a sweeping curved facade to soften the visual bulk of the building, particularly on the north-east side. Landscaped terraces are also included in designs to further reduce the visual impact of the building.

Being located on a regionally significant road such as Crown Street, the development is required by NSW planning law to to "where practicable" provide car access via a road other than the classified road.

The development application documents state that council officers suggested that the developer purchase adjacent properties to the rear which face on to Staff Street, to allow vehicles to access the facility, however the proposal retains the access way from Crown Street.

The development application notes that the seven storey facility would be a traffic generating development as it includes a carpark with 191 spaces. The medical centre would also include a loading bay for an ambulance.

The loading bay and carpark would be accessed via an 8m wide crossing over the footpath, wider than the double-lane crossing permitted for safety reasons "in exceptional circumstances" but suggested as necessary in the development application due to the requirement for two way access for ambulances.

This would result in 108 vehicles entering and exiting the facility on to Crown Street during the AM and PM peak hours, according to a traffic report prepared for the development. The report assumes that 50 per cent of patients visiting the specialists suites would walk or use public transport or taxis.

Based on these figures, the report notes that the development proposal "will clearly not have any unacceptable traffic implications in terms of road network capacity".

The existing Wollongong Day Surgery on the opposite side of Crown Street includes vehicle access via New Dapto Road and exit via Crown Street.

As the development has a capital investment value of more than $5 million, the proposal will be determined by the Southern Regional Planning Panel. The closing date for the exhibition of the development application is May 14.

Mr Vranas said that if approved, he hopes to begin construction within a year.

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