Plans for Infill Affordable Towers Pile Up in Sydney

The Chatswood focus continues with another residential tower in the works as another all-affordable 35-storey highrise is revealed for Merrylands.

At Merrylands, Anglicare is working on plans that go well above the required provision of infill affordable housing that allows bonus height and floor-space ratios under changes to the NSW Housing State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) in 2023.

The Anglican Church of Australia property development arm has started on the State Significant pathway for the mixed-use scheme planned for 215 and 229-239 Pitt Street, which is 400m from Merrylands train station 25km west of the Sydney CBD.

Anglicare is requesting Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) to prepare its plans for the 2106sq m site in the Cumberland City Council local government area (LGA).

The area is rapidly undergoing a transition to high-density residential. Projects under way in the suburb include the 850-apartment Mason & Main project from Coronation Property now under construction 200m from Anglicare’s site.

On the site now is a two-storey commercial building with a mix of retail and commercial tenancies.

Anglicare’s development application from Mecone said that it would be taking advantage of the infill affordable housing amendments to the Housing SEPP, which “will result in a built form outcome which is greater than that anticipated under local provisions”.

Anglicare wants to replace the low-density buildings onsite with a 35-storey tower comprising 250 affordable housing units. 

The apartments—26 studios, 77 one-bedroom, 111 two-bedroom and 36 three-bedroom unit—would sit above a two-storey podium. 

There would be 630sq m of retail and 2923sq m of commercial within the podium of the Fuse Architects-designed project. 

▲ A render of the 35-storey tower proposed for Chatswood.

Meanwhile, on the Lower North Shore, LFD Chatswood Unit Trust is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for a project at 5-9 Gordon Avenue in the Willoughby Council LGA.

The site, in the Eastern Harbour City area, is proposed for a 1522sq m site, 450m from the Chatswood Transport Interchange and surrounded by four-storey residential buildings. 

A development application is under way for the project, dubbed Hammonds Green, by developer Tian An Australia. 

It replaces a previous application for a 25-storey project put forward in 2023, well before the introduction of the Housing SEPP changes for infill affordable bonuses.

After an Architectural Design Competition, FJC Architects was appointed to the proposal for a 35-storey tower of 85 units, including 21 affordable apartments under its provision for infill affordable housing. 

Other Chatswood developments under way include Bridgestone’s 33-storey plans near the Westfield shopping centre, Coronation Property’s project at Albert and Archer Streets and Billbergia’s latest plans nearby.

Also in Chatswood, Central Element’s $150-million Ethos Chatswood tower has topped out.

The “ultra-luxury” 17-storey residential tower, at the corner of Ellis Street and Pacific Highway, is a joint-venture partnership between the developer and equity partner MaxCap Group. The builder is Growthbuilt.

Ethos comprises 49 apartments in a mix of one, two and three bedrooms. Work began in May of 2023.

Ethos Chatswood is one of five projects Central Element is due to complete across Sydney this year. The others are the 25hours hotel The Olympia at Paddington, Pienza Neutral Bay, Bianca Drummoyne and Ballamac House at Coogee.

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