The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Untitled design (8)
25 DAYS UNTIL OUR UNMISSABLE FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE 29-31 JULY, GOLD COAST
25 DAYS UNTIL OUR FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE 29-31 JULY, GOLD COAST
SECURE YOUR SPOTDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
2
print
Print
RetailMarisa WikramanayakeMon 09 May 22

Access Issues Flagged Before Balmain Site Fire: Developer

The proposed plans for the new Balmain Tigers club site, which caught fire on the weekend.

The developer behind plans for the former Balmain Leagues Club, gutted by a suspicious fire on the weekend, say they had asked the state government to secure the site two months ago.

Heworth Holdings Group said they had asked Transport for NSW the site made safe and public access stopped in March, and were yet to receive a response. 

The 28,000sq m site fronting Victoria Road, Darling Street and Waterloo Street, was the home of the Balmain Tigers Rugby League team. The premises were partially demolished in 2010. 

Malaysian firm Mulpha backed Hepworth's acquisition of the site for $75 million in 2018 and its $135-million mixed-use development plans, which included a new Balmain Tigers club, was approved by the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel in September, 2020.

The project also includes a new public town square, laneways, a community arts studio, three car park levels, communal open spaces, green walls, 167 apartments, retails areas and commercial space.  

It is estimated to have an end value of $400 millon.

In May 2021, Transport for NSW imposed a compulsory leasehold on the site for seven years to use it during construction of the Western Harbour Tunnel Project.

The NSW Valuer General has assessed that Heworth requires compensation, which has not yet been paid. 

Heworth’s head of property Christopher Walsh said the entire situation was frustrating.

“Heworth wrote to Transport for NSW in March advising that the site should be secured by Transport in order to prevent the public from entering,” Walsh said.

“Heworth is yet to receive a response.”

Heworth's proposed plans for the Balmain Tigers Club site in Rozelle, currently paused while the NSW government has a compulsory leasehold during the Western Harbour Tunnel construction. Source: Heworth
▲ A render of Heworth’s proposed plans for the Balmain Tigers Club site. Source: Heworth

“Heworth, the club and the community have been frustrated and extremely disappointed that we cannot deliver the DA-approved development until 2028, due to the leasehold acquisition of the site by Transport for NSW and the NSW government.

“The development has stalled, hundreds of future jobs are at risk and the Balmain Tigers are still without a home.” 

The club caught fire at 4.30pm on Saturday, causing traffic chaos on Victoria Road as the smoke reduced visibility in Sydney’s CBD. 

The Leichardt Police Area Command are investigating the cause of the fire and are currently treating the incident as suspicious.

Transport for NSW did not respond by the time of writing when approached by The Urban Developer for comment.

Retaildo not useAustraliaPlanningPlanningSector
AUTHOR
Marisa Wikramanayake
The Urban Developer
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Exclusive

Carparking Correlation: How Parking Fees Provide Office Sector Health Check

Taryn Paris
6 Min
Molti chief Ben Teague out front of 32 Mercer Road Aramadale (rendering)
Exclusive

Buy to the Sound of Cannons: Molti’s Counter-Cyclical Move to Melbourne

Leon Della Bosca
5 Min
Exclusive

Tapping the Bunnings ‘Halo Effect’

Taryn Paris
5 Min
Exclusive

‘Construction Not a Scale Game’: Hutchinson

Phil Bartsch
9 Min
Nation's build-to-rent project Charlie Parker in Sydney's Parramatta where more projects are being located and built outside the CBD.
Exclusive

Foreign Capital Still Dominates BtR but Things are Changing

Marisa Wikramanayake
7 Min
View All >
The construction site which will one day become Newcastle Tallest Tower by Urban Property Group
Residential

Urban Property Group Reveals Newcastle Tallest Tower Plan

Renee McKeown
the four concept towers approved for sydney metro's parramatta precinct
Development

Rush of Approvals Sends Parramatta Skywards

Renee McKeown
ESR building ESR completes delisting
Industrial

ESR Reveals New Team After Hong Kong Delisting

Leon Della Bosca
Going private means plans to focus on logistics and data centres across the Asia-Pacific region can accelerate, ESR says…
LATEST
The construction site which will one day become Newcastle Tallest Tower by Urban Property Group
Residential

Urban Property Group Reveals Newcastle Tallest Tower Plan

Renee McKeown
3 Min
the four concept towers approved for sydney metro's parramatta precinct
Development

Rush of Approvals Sends Parramatta Skywards

Renee McKeown
2 Min
ESR building ESR completes delisting
Industrial

ESR Reveals New Team After Hong Kong Delisting

Leon Della Bosca
3 Min
Bunnings Clyde North
Markets

Bunnings Sold On as Charter Hall Doubles Down on Retail

Leon Della Bosca
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/access-issues-flagged-before-balmain-site-fire-developer