Traders in Purple Lead Five Dock Urban Renewal

Traders In Purple is working on plans for the urban renewal of almost an acre of land next to one of Sydney’s future inner-west metro stations.

The property group was appointed by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney to lead the mixed-use redevelopment of St Albans Church at 171 Great North Road, Five Dock.

The mixed-use plans were expected to include housing, indoor and outdoor public spaces, office, retail and the restoration of the 1858 church that together would deliver a new income stream for the diocese.

The 4014sq m site was adjacent to the under-construction Five Dock Metro Station hub outlined in mid-2022 by Sydney Metro.

Traders In Purple director George Geagea said the St Albans project presented the ideal opportunity to deliver urgently needed new housing in a well-established inner-west suburb.

“Our approach to heritage and expertise in the delivery of mixed tenure housing was an important factor in the diocesan decision to engage Traders In Purple,” Geagea said.

“Sydney’s housing affordability and rental crisis cannot be solved without building more homes to meet the increase in population. 

“Rather than pushing people out to the city fringe, suburbs such as Five Dock were ideally placed to absorb some of this growth.”

The Five Dock project was part of the Sydney Anglican Urban Renewal Pilot Program to activate church properties to become community hubs.

▲ The Sydney Metro West alignment including Five Dock Metro Station next to the St Albans site.

Anglican Church Growth Corporation chief executive officer Ross Jones said they planned to upgrade ministry facilities to develop mixed-use residential and social infrastructure so they would be fit-for-purpose.

“Greater Sydney and the Illawarra are experiencing a severe housing crisis for a variety of groups in our communities. A major constraint is the availability of land,” Jones said.

“We are in a position where we have land and can innovatively integrate much needed affordable accommodation with enhancements to our church facilities to provide active community hubs.”

The project was originated and facilitated by the Sustainable Development Group Ltd as advisers to the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.

Traders in Purple also previously worked on the adaptive reuse of The Abbey at Cronulla, turning a Uniting Church and Sunday school hall into luxury residences as well as the Sisters of Mercy Chapel restoration at Goulburn.

The property group has a pipeline of projects with the NSW Land and Housing Corporation valued at more than $590 million, along with a $300-million mixed-use masterplanned community 15 minutes from Hobart, in partnership with Kingborough Council.