Bonython Tower –
Rising from Duttons Tavern
159 Mann Street. Owned by Bonython Property and Investments. Value: $19.3m. The 13-floor, mixed-use development, including restaurant, offices and shop top housing (56 units) is due for completion by the end of 2018.
The DA (40756/2015) was approved in December 2015, and has been amended four times since then. Demolition of former buildings commenced in mid-2017, and by March 14, 2018, the first six floors of the development were complete, according to Bonython Director, Ms Monique Anderson. The last amendment to the development that was approved by Central Coast Council increased the amount of commercial space and car parking and decreased the number of residential units. It sought to link the strata titling of the commercial units to the residential units, to promote a “live and work lifestyle” in Gosford.
The Imperial Shopping Centre –
Gosford’s life support.
171 Mann St Owned by Lederer Property Group Value: Unknown.
Lederer committed to an $18m refurbishment of the centre in 2015, which was completed in 2016. The Imperial Shopping Centre is the CBD’s only shopping centre, it opened in 1972 and anchor tenants are Woolworths and Aldi.
Regional Library –
Hope springs eternal.
123-125 Donnison St. Owned by Central Coast Council (concept 1) and ET Australia (part of concept 2). Value: Concept 1: $21m or Concept 2: $64m Central Coast Council has exhibited two concepts.
Concept 1 is the current Parkside building in Donnison St and Concept 2 includes the Parkside Building and 123B-125 Donnison St, currently owned by ET Australia. Concept 1 is a standalone library and Concept 2 extends the site to the adjacent parcel of land and creates additional space for ET Australia, commercial office and retail space. Rod Dever from the Gosford Chamber said the business community preferred Concept 2 and it has also been given the thumbs up by Member for Gosford, Ms Liesl Tesch.
Council plans to deliver the completed project by 2020 (Concept 1) with Concept 2 taking six months longer.
Waterside Triple Towers –
In a dispute over asbestos.
50 to 70 Mann St and 114, Georgiana Tce. Owned by New Hong Kong Macau Australian Pty Ltd. Value: $234.36m.
Triple tower, mixed-use development, including commercial, residential, shop top housing, cinema, hotel and tavern. A section 96 application was approved by Council in May 2017, to allow demolition of part of the site prior to the issue of a construction certificate. The demolition means that the development has commenced, so December 2017, the expiry date of the JRPP consent is no longer relevant. It is understood that the Chinese owners of the project are currently in dispute with the demolition company over the costs of asbestos removal.
Mr Rod Dever, President of the Gosford-Erina Chamber of Commerce said: “I think we will see the project go ahead and with all respect, we are dealing with slight cultural differences, which means that the owners have slightly different expectations, so everything has stopped because of contamination on the site,” Mr Dever said. “Eventually they will realise it is their responsibility to fix and pay for the contamination. They are continuing to consult with their teams in Australia and they will come to a point where they move ahead. “It is just a matter of ironing out some of the creases,” he said.
Mariner Plaza Double Towers –
Wooden Spooners.
108 Donnison and 110 to 118 Mann St. Owned by Gosford City Development Pty Ltd. Value: $157 million
This twin-tower mixed-use development, consisting of commercial, retail, supermarket, hotel and shop top housing, approved by the JRPP in May 2015, is currently letting the team down. According to the notice of determination, consent lapsed two years from that date, which was May 21, 2017. A Section 96 application was lodged with Council on October 26, 2016, to increase the number of hotel rooms to 167, increase the number of residential apartments to 342, the number of car spaces to 507, reduce the size of units and balconies, and to make minor alterations to internal layout and commercial and retail areas. Consent was given for the section 96 amendment on December 23, 2016, but the consent letter noted that the approved amendment did not extend the term of the original consent. Coast Community News has contacted Mr Tim Gunasinghe at CommercialHQ, who is understood to represent the proponents, for information about the status of this site.
Retail and Shop Top Housing –
Section 96 pending.
122-124 Erina St and 138- 142 Henry Parry Dve. Owned by AO Gosford Pty Ltd Value: $36.67m
Originally approved by the Joint Regional Planning Panel on May 20, 2015, a fresh Section 96 amendment was lodged on March 5, 2018, and has not yet been considered by Council. The proposal is for retail space and 180 units of shop top housing. A previous Section 96 lodged in November 2016, and approved in March 2017, added staging to the development. However, the approval of that amendment did not extend the term of the original consent which expired on May 20, 2017. The proponent of the development is Central Real, backed by entrepreneur and owner of the Gosford Car Museum, Mr Tony Denny.
Kibbleplex –
The elephant in the city.
136-146 Donnison St Owned by Lederer Property Group. Value: $650m master plan proposed
The former Marketplace shopping centre, that is bounded by Henry Parry Dve, Donnison St, Albany St N and William St, was purchased by Gosford Council for $11m, including a $7m grant. It was one of the sites proposed for the regional library and smart work hub but was declared riddled with concrete cancer, inappropriate for the library, and subsequently sold to Lederer Group in March 2016, for $13 million. Lederer then launched ‘Gosford Alive’ and unveiled its 20-year vision, that included the staged development of 8,000 square metres of retail and commercial space, 300 parking spaces, 730 residential apartments and the revitalisation of Kibble Park.
Lederer was working on a proposed average building height of 23 metres, which was contingent on approval of the planning proposal for the CBD that has just been terminated by the NSW Government. “If I was Paul Lederer, and I was part of the property group, I would be a bit disappointed with the stalling, considering there were so much hype and activity,” said Mr Rod Dever from the Chamber. “They are a key group, their investment in the city in terms of the upgrade has been significant, they spent a lot of money supporting the city and the Mariners,” he said. “I would like to think that there is a way forward and all of the parties to come to the table and come up with something that can satisfy everybody. “I would like to think somebody who has that sort of commitment gets a fair and equal footing in the discussions about what is going to be involved in revitalising the city, so they can review their desires and plans,” he said.
Commercial Hotel –
Council’s land bank.
59 Mann St Owned by Central Coast Council. Value: Unknown.
This is another site acquired by the former Gosford Council as a location for a regional library, that now sits dormant and decrepit in Mann St, next to the Central Coast Council building. Mr Dever, Gosford Chamber President, said he would love to see the site activated and it may be one of the six currently under consideration for the Regional Performing Arts Centre that remain “commercial in confi dence”. “We know there are six sites, but nobody knows which sites, and that could possibly be one of them,” Mr Dever said. “I think Council are acting responsibly in that they are aiming to deliver the RPAC and library concurrently, so to throw another one into the mix right away would probably be too much on Council’s plate to ensure the quality the community would expect, so it is probably more about responsible management than land banking,” he said. “Then they can start to move towards the next project, whether that is to activate the site, develop it to build new council facilities, or to sell it. “As a business chamber, we would love to see activity happen.”
Conservatorium of Music –
RPAC at the top of the hill.
41 Mann St Owned by Crown Land. Value: Unknown.
The Central Coast Conservatorium of Music was promised $2m by the NSW Government for a building adjoining the Regional Performing Arts Centre for studio and learning space. The board of the Conservatorium has recently been lobbying for the $32m RPAC to be built on Crown and Council-owned land at the top of Georgiana Tce, backing on to Henry Parry Dve at the rear of its current heritage building. It is not known whether the site is one of the six currently under investigation by Central Coast Council.