Woolworths’ Green Square Tower Moves to Next Stage

Supermarket giant Woolworths’ planned tower near Sydney’s Green Square has taken a step closer to reality.

The Central Sydney Planning Committee has approved a proposal to amend planning controls for the mixed-use project planned for Waterloo.

Woolworths’ property arm Fabcot owns the site at 922-935 Bourke Street and requested that the permissible maximum height under the Sydney Development Control Plan 2012 be amended to allow for the building to reach five to seven-storeys.

The committee approved the City of Sydney’s planning officers draft proposal for the amendments, which will now go to the NSW planning department.

The department will assess the planning proposal for a gateway determination, when the proposed amendments will be advertised and open for comment.

As the site is not within a planned centre in the control plan, there is a restriction on the size of retail tenancies. This has to be amended for the supermarket development to proceed.

Fabcot has also offered to enter into an agreement with the council to provide several electric vehicle charging points in the building’s car park including Level 2 charging for 25 per cent of the retail car parking spaces and two more spaces with Level 3 or 4 charging.

The agreement will also include options for onsite rainwater capture and waste recovery, and adoption of the city’s Net Zero Energy Provisions. 

▲ The view of the project from Young and McEvoy streets.

Sydney’s lord mayor Clover Moore recused herself from the vote due to her husband holding shares in Woolworths and left the meeting during the discussion of planning matters. 

Woolworths’ current plans for the project include a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses with a 3200sq m supermarket below ground level.

There will be offices and residential apartments above the supermarket level with around 12 per cent of the apartments set aside for affordable housing, providing five apartments more than the required number.

The company submitted plans that included a 4850sq m supermarket below ground level in November 2021.

In November 2021, the City of Sydney commissioned the Green Square and Southern Areas Retail Review.

A report on the review is being concurrently considered by the City of Sydney Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

It found that there was a shortfall of nearly 9000sq m of supermarket space in the area specifically for residents in the eastern parts of Waterloo, the Town Centre and North Alexandria areas.

Green Square is a key urban renewal precinct within the City of Sydney with Toga recently winning approval for a $141-million A-grade commercial tower Fulcrum above the Green Square train station.

Mirvac is undertaking most of the Green Square precinct development which includes more than 1600 apartments and offices.

The Green Square urban renewal area is forecast to have up to 3200 new homes and between 60,000 to 70,000 residents by 2036.