Sydney developers have designed a nine-storey residential shoptop around a major eastern suburbs police station after the state government refused to the sell the crown land upon which the command headquarters sits.
Lindsay Bennelong—the Peter Campbell-founded residential developer—has lodged plans with the Randwick City Council for a 57-apartment development in Maroubra, a beachfront suburb about 10km south of Sydney.
But in pre-lodgement meetings in August last year, Randwick told Lindsay Bennelong under its Development Control Plan the council would prefer to see the 1520-sq-m development lot at 138 Maroubra Road amalgamated with the next-door police site.
Development control plans, which support a municipality’s Local Environmental Plan, are designed to provide guidelines for council staff and developers.
In documents now before Randwick, town planners Ethos Urban referred to the “site’s unique contextual constraints”, adding the developers had made “a genuine offer of purchase” for the site of the Maroubra police station.
That offer is understood to be the same rate per square metre the developer paid for their own land.
But in correspondence dated August 15, the New South Wales Police Force said: “Unfortunately we are unable to assist as the sale of crown land must be dealt with pursuant to the provisions of the crown land.”
“Additionally, we note that the property in question is currently an operational police station and continues to be required for essential police operational purposes,” the police said.
In fact, Maroubra police station, which moved to the corner of Maroubra Road and Bennetts Place in 1975, is today the headquarters of the Eastern Beaches Police Area Command.
In any case, the Crown Lands made its decision equally clear 10 days later.
“Crown Lands has determined not to proceed with the sale application and advises the property is not for sale,” the director of regional operations east, land and asset management Tim Deverell wrote in an email.
“Any potential sale of crown land is subject to a rigorous assessment process to ensure that the sale is appropriate and compliant with legislation,” Deverell said.
“As you can appreciate this is not a matter that is taken lightly.”
Lindsay Bennelong’s plans call for a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments above three basement levels of parking for 89 vehicles. There would be two retail tenancies on the ground floor.
BCI Central data shows DJRD Architects drew the plans.
An existing two-storey glass and concrete block commercial building would be demolished to make way for the proposed new building.
Ethos Urban has lodged a Clause 4.6 variation request which, if approved, would allow the developers to build to 32.5m—about 7.5m higher than the maximum allowable height.
The construction costs for the project are estimated at $44.4 million.
