‘Auto Alley’ Plans Amended After $110m Acquisition

Sydney developer JQZ has applied for amendments to an approved development application for a massive Parramatta project it acquired in May. 

The site in Parramatta’s South Quarter was picked up for $110 million. 

Former developer Dyldam, who lodged the original $876 million plans for the site, went into administration in early 2021.

The concept development application for the sites at 83 and 63 Church Street and 44 Early Street was approved in 2016, and a detailed application approved in August, 2018 for a five-tower project.

These plans included an 11-storey, 275-key hotel, two residential towers of 22 and 42 storeys containing 538 apartments (which was later modified) and two levels of retail and commercial at the tower podium was planned for Site 1.

At Site 2, a nine-level non-residential tower and a 22-storey block of 235 apartments with associated landscaping and plaza works were planned. 

The latest proposals from JQZ add hotel rooms, bringing the new total to 288, along with a slight increase in building height.

They also seek a number of approved design components and conditions of consent to “improve the overall design of the building”, such as the reconfiguration of internal space in the hotel to accommodate conference and meeting rooms. 

▲ A render of the new proposed hotel design from AJC Architects.

The revised plans seek a reduction in the total apartments, 479 units in Buildings D and E.

JQZ says it will instead deliver larger apartments more suitable for families and those “who wish to use more flexible spaces within their apartments for working from home or for greater storage”.

The developer’s updates also incorporate and formalise the hotel use given in principal under the original application, and modified the design of the hotel.

Given the extreme weather conditions, which Australia has faced over the past few years, amendments are also proposed that will respond to new flood planning information including a removal of a basement car workshop floor in favour of hotel back-of-house uses.

▲ The strip in Parramatta nicknamed Auto Alley in the 1970s.

The site is near the southern entrance to the Parramatta CBD in an area comprised of several car dealerships, current and in the past, which from the 1970s, earned the area its ‘Auto Alley’ nickname.

Prolific Sydney developer JQZ was relatively quiet last year, but the year before it lodged plans for a 314-unit St Leonards South development and has previously filed additional projects in Parramatta.