Melrose Park: Hospital, shops, units, childcare centre planned for Hope St

Major plans for a private hospital, childcare centre and more than 400 apartments have been revealed for one of Sydney’s fastest growing suburbs.

Six apartment blocks are planned for the centre of Melrose Park.

Fresh images reveal $700 million plans for a private hospital, six-tower apartment complex and a childcare centre for Melrose Park — a suburb forecast to have 11,000 dwellings in under 15 years.

Deicorp and Payce have submitted a development application with Parramatta Council for Melrose Central, to feature a five-storey commercial podium and six 24-storey shop-top towers housing 494 units at Hope St.

Shops, offices, a medical centre and indoor recreation space will occupy about 30,000sq m of commercial space for the burgeoning suburb branching off Victoria Rd.

A total of 1459 commercial and residential parking spaces are planned for the project, which the Sydney Central City Planning Panel will determine because of its significant size.

The population is expected to explode at Melrose Park, with 11,000 dwellings forecast to be built in Melrose Park by 2036.

The precinct has 6000 new units and is part of a $6 billion urban renewal project.

The number of homes could drop to 6700 if the second stage of Parramatta light rail is scrapped.

A private hospital is part of the Melrose Park town centre.

Parramatta Lord Mayor Donna Davis recently expressed concerns about the lack of high schools for the suburb and called for the return of a campus on the former Marsden High School site at West Ryde.

Under plans lodged with Ryde Council, the State Government wants to turn the former school site into a $30 million sports facility to be used by more than 400,000 people each year.

If approved, construction on a two-storey 5000 sqm indoor complex with four sports courts, 32 outdoor netball courts, a gym, offices, a kiosk, storage spaces, a first aid room and a 296-space carpark will begin in early 2023.

The School Infrastructure plans follow Marsden High School’s relocation to the Meadowbank Education and Employment Precinct this year.

However, Cr Davis has opposed the rezoning from education precinct to a recreation hub at Winboure St, which is only 700m north of Melrose Park.

She said there would be a demand for education facilities.

Payce and Deicorp will develop the Melrose Central retail and residential hub.

The council agreed to write to Education Minister Sarah Mitchell raising concerns about the loss of land to be used for schools around Melrose Park and advocate for the retention of the former Marsden High School site for education purposes.

The council is also seeking more information about the government’s strategy to address the under-supply of student places at primary and secondary schools within the Melrose Park catchment.

But Ms Mitchell has hit back after receiving the letter on Wednesday.

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“I welcome her interest in supporting the delivery of new and upgraded schools, but it’s a shame she, along with the local council, are delaying the delivery of a new, much-needed high school for residents of Wentworth Point and Olympic Park.”

The government won’t reverse its decision to deliver the sports complex at West Ryde.

“Our historic school building program under way in NSW is delivering for this growing region of Sydney with the new schools at the Meadowbank Education and Employment Precinct opening this year and an upgrade at West Ryde Public School delivered in 2020,’’ an Education Department spokeswoman said.

She said funding was also secured in this year’s budget to redevelop Melrose Park Public School, upgrade Parramatta East Public School and Telopea Public School, as well as ongoing projects at Cumberland High School and Carlingford West Public School and education campuses at Rydalmere and Macquarie Park.