Heworth’s Balmain Leagues Site Plans Upsized

Heworth Property Group’s hard-fought plans to redevelop the Balmain Leagues Club are being revisited. 

Its Rozelle Village proposals now on exhibition include affordable and market housing and provide 227 units across considerably upsized buildings of up to 16 storeys.

The changes, submitted via the State Significant Development pathway, are the result of the NSW Government’s planning policy changes introduced in December, 2023 that allow 30 per cent height and floor space ratio incentives for projects that allocate 15 per cent of residential floor space to affordable housing. 

This is a 75-apartment increase on the previously approved plans for the site, including 59 affordable homes, up from the original maximum 12-storey project, making 80 per cent of the new additions dedicated to affordable housing, according to Heworth head of development Christopher Walsh.

“The inclusion of affordable housing in our updated proposal is a direct response to the urgent need for more diverse housing options in the inner west, where high rents and limited availability place significant pressure on essential workers and families,” Walsh told The Urban Developer.

“The infill affordable incentive assists with the project viability—which is what we believe was the Premier’s intention.”

Just 3.5 per cent of the local housing stock is dedicated to this housing typology, compared to 5 per cent in Greater Sydney as a whole.

“While development delays are always a challenge, by incorporating more affordable housing into Rozelle Village we are meeting both community needs and the broader push for increased housing options, ensuring the long-term viability of the project.”

With a handful of studios and SOHO (small office/home office) units, there will be 28 one-bedroom, 126 two-bedroom and 68 three-bedroom apartments.

Heworth will deliver a “vibrant mixed-use development”, according to the environmental impact statement currently on exhibition, with commercial and retail floorspace across numerous multi-storey buildings. 

“The exhibition milestone is a significant moment for Heworth in bringing Rozelle Village closer to reality,” Walsh said.

“It’s an opportunity to present our plans to the public, gain valuable feedback, and further refine the project to meet both community expectations and regulatory requirements.

“With the exhibition phase under way, we’re looking forward to moving through the next stages of the approval process. Initial demolition is set to begin shortly and, pending a speedy approval of the SSDA, we are optimistic that construction will follow soon after.”

Surrounding a public plaza will be a new registered club to replace the previous Balmain Leagues Club, as well as a 3075sq m supermarket, another 2372sq m of retail space, a 765sq m commercial allocation, and 200sq m of community facilities in a non-residential podium. 

Studio SC, formerly Scott Carver Architects, have designed the project at 135-152 Victoria Road, which will consist of three interconnected 16-storey apartment buildings, housing the increased number of apartments, and a smaller three-storey building to fit the SOHO units.

The Balmain Leagues Club, a two-storey 1960s building, sits on the brownfield site and would be demolished for Heworth’s project.

While the future of the project looks bright, it has not been plain sailing for Heworth’s Rozelle plans, however. 

The developer took state agency Transport for NSW to court this year, asking for $100 million in compensation for the delay to the development, which centred around the agency’s compulsory acquisition of the site.

Heworth has owned the site since 2018 and has had multiple iterations of its proposals since. It believes the latest plans, which will cost an estimated $285 million, will mark the end of the long development process.