ApartmentsPatrick LauFri 21 Aug 26
Sasco Shows Plans for Tower Next to Ryde’s $110m ‘Hole in the Ground’
Plans for a 10-storey, 114-home scheme are on show adjacent to the City of Ryde’s beleaguered civic centre demolition site.
The $61-million apartment scheme on exhibition, proposed by Sasco Development’s Sassine family, fringes on vacant land once marked for a new $110-million municipal facility by the local council.
While the council buildings on that site were demolished in 2021, the resulting pit was filled in 2024, and a tender process that closed in February 2026 did not secure any appropriate bids for redevelopment.
The Sasco residential project at 166-174 Blaxland Road, about 11.5km northwest of the Sydney CBD, is proposing a floor space ratio of 2.9:1 be applied, to yield gross floor area of 11,113sq m.
The 114 apartments in a mix of one-bedroom to four-bedroom typologies would include six affordable homes. A concurrent rezoning proposal accompanies the state-significant application.
The 3832sq m Sasco site is also less than 100m from the Top Ryde mega- mall, which transacted last year in a deal worth $525 million.
MA Financial acquired the 77,488sq m GLA shopping centre from Blackstone in October 2025, with backing from the Singapore-listed Keppel REIT.
Meanwhile, the council land at 1 Devlin Street has remained vacant since the demolition of the Ryde Civic Centre. The site had been intended for a Plus Architecture-designed “New Heart of Ryde” precinct, including a seven-storey commercial tower and a 700-seat performance hall.
The project was beset by challenges, including interim heritage and stop-work orders. A funding shortfall post-demolition meant an open pit was left at the site for years, presenting a health hazard.
In 2023, the council referred itself to ICAC over allegations that developer contributions had been misspent, contributing to the dire financial situation.
In 2025, the council undertook a campaign to find a suitable lessee for commercial and residential development. However, lack of market interest meant no appropriate bids were forthcoming.
In a report reviewing the tender process, property officers at the council advised councillors to divest the land on a freehold basis once market conditions are more suitable. The council is due to once again discuss the issue at a meeting on August 25, while noting that an offer to sell the land to the state government has not yet received a response.
