Liverpool's Civic Place Development Awaits Planning Decision

The Liverpool City Council is awaiting planning changes to the Liverpool Local Environment Plan (LEP) to move ahead with their delayed $75 million Civic Place development.

Located at 52 Scott Street, council, in collaboration with Built Development Group -- the Liverpool Civic Place developer -- appointed FJMT architects to design the 49,533sq m mixed-use precinct, submitting a development application in 2016.

Approval is reliant on changes to the LEP, with the council applying to the Department of Planning and Environment for rezoning amendments to allow for increased height and floor space ratio for certain sites in the city centre in 2015.

The department amended the LEP on Friday, increasing building height and floor space in Liverpool's Shepherd Street precinct along the foreshore of the Georges river, allowing for major upgrades to public infrastructure in the area.

The Liverpool Civic Place proposal includes a four-storey public library, two 31-storey mixed-use buildings, a new civic plaza, new council offices and chambers and a South Western Sydney Campus for University of Wollongong.

The developer, Built Development Group, are responsible for the two buildings dedicated to residential apartments, as well as 140 hotel rooms and 140 student accommodation options. They will also feature several retail options on the ground floor.

The Liverpool City Council submitted the development application in 2016. In a response to the request for information about the delayed approval process for the Civic Place council responded that, "approval is reliant on changes to planning controls for the Liverpool City Centre, which are now before the Department of Planning and Environment for approval."Planning and Environment Department executive director of regions Steve Murray said the changes to the LEP were supported by public infrastructure upgrades, including improvements to parks, pedestrian and cycle paths, easier access to the river foreshore with boardwalks and footpaths as well as better access to transport.

The proposed civic plaza will consist of 1,146 square metres of public open space.

While Liverpool City Council awaits word that work can begin, it is expected that the entire project will be complete around 2021, however the Council facilities and University of Wollongong campus is expected to be completed in 2019.

Council’s expected contribution to the development will be approximately $75 million.