Office Jettisoned in Olympic Park Over-Station Rethink

Sydney Metro wants to upgrade its Olympic Park over-station tower trio, planning another 191 units for the “city-building” opportunity of its rail expansion. Under changes now on exhibition, the number of units in the development would grow to more than 500 and the height of one of the trio of buildings, which is being converted from office space, would rise. Development consent for a concept state significant development application for the towers sitting above the new Sydney Metro West line was secured in 2024 . The latest amended application would update that previous existing Concept SSD consent. The site, at 5-7 Figtree Drive at Sydney Olympic Park, Parramatta, was approved for three towers—two residential and one commercial. The updated plans seek to convert the land use of the commercial Building 1 to residential, replacing it with 22,875sq m of residential gross floor area (GFA), which would yield around 191 units. ▲ Rendering of the Olympic Park Metro precinct, where the station is slated to open in 2032. As a result, commercial GFA would drop from 27,841sq m to 1183sq m, while retail GFA would increase from 555sq m to 791sq m within the podium. The maximum building height for Building 1 would rise from 21 storeys to 34 storeys, and comprise a smaller and narrower floor plate. A 45-storey and a 27-level tower above the station, which will retain their previously approved commercial and retail spaces in the lower levels, are unchanged. Sydney Metro said it was an “exciting opportunity to incorporate global best practice for placemaking and environmentally sustainable development and to apply innovative thinking to create new city icons”. ▲ A development partner is yet to be chosen for the project, which is due to kick off in 2027. The agency said the amended concept DA responded to the shift in government priorities around housing delivery. The proposal is on exhibition until September 4, 2025. The trio of towers are just a small part of the detailed precinct masterplan of another 18 towers for the hub of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. It is the latest in a line of projects seeking to remove commercial elements, driven by the ongoing uncertainty in the office sector and government priorities towards housing. Thirdi and Phoenix Property Investors last month scrapped an approved office tower for their $233.4-million Crows Nest over-station tower while earlier in the year, the $900-million Waterloo Metro over-station tower reworked its previous plans for a 15-storey office tower .

Office Jettisoned in Olympic Park Over-Station Rethink

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