Seniors housing, hotel and offices share common site
LONDON: Seniors apartments, an hotel and open plan offices now share a single downtown site.
In a scene reminiscent of New York’s Central Park, towering skyscrapers reaching to the heavens could be built slap-bang in the heart of Sydney’s bible belt.
Under the “multibillion-dollar masterplan”, developer Castle Towers, owned by QIC, wants the green light to build as many as 22 buildings ranging from two to 36-storeys atop the Castle Hill shopping centre in the Hills Shire, home to mega-church Hillsong.
QIC real estate investment general manager Matthew James said the company, which has owned and managed Castle Towers for 35 years, has “a responsibility to plan for The Hills’ future growth over the next 35 years and beyond”.
“That responsibility includes considering what services and facilities will meet the needs of the growing community, while attracting the best in business, lifestyle and education to Castle Hill,“ he said.
The masterplan to create the Hills uber-hub is one of the first big projects to take advantage of the new Sydney Metro line and includes retail expansion, commercial office buildings, a 200-room hotel, 700 residential apartments and an educational centre alongside.
A planner for the project said it would “meet the needs of a growing community whilst attracting the best in business, lifestyle, education and service to Castle Hill”.
“Castle Hill’s population (is) set to grow by 20 per cent over the next 15 years and a forecasted 13,500 additional jobs by 2041,” the planner said.
“There are plans to develop The Hills centre providing 7415 additional dwellings to accommodate this growth.”
The Castle Towers masterplan forecasts “concentrated” jobs, retail and homes around the Sydney Metro”, which promises to transport commuters from Castle Hill to Barangaroo in 33 minutes.
“The outer areas retain the existing residential character that is quintessentially of the Hills,” the planner said.
The vision to revolutionise the shopping hub comes just months after Castle Towers submitted $560m plans for The Village, which would see more than 70 new stores and two commercial towers with a rooftop pool and bar, events spaces and new restaurants at the site.
Meanwhile, a $700m plan by QIC for a further 1410 homes and an “urban plaza” across 11 high-rise towers on land it owns neighbouring the Castle Towers Shopping Centre has been forwarded to NSW Planning as part of a rezoning review application.
The proposal also includes the “early” delivery of a new indoor sporting facility and an expansive public park.
The Hills Shire Council during a September meeting, objected to plans for 1410 homes at the site on the corner of Showground Rd and Pennant St, instead calling for a cap of 1236 homes.
Mr James said QIC’s proposal aimed to address the “significant shortage of well-located housing”.
“QIC’s Planning Proposal has the capacity to deliver significant benefits to The Hills’ community and deliver well-located housing supported by infrastructure,” he told the Saturday Telegraph.
“As long-term stewards of this important community asset, QIC remains committed to ensuring Castle Towers continues to meet the evolving needs of the local community.”
Mr James described the vision to construct as many as 22 buildings at the popular shopping destination as a “multi-decade masterplan”.
