Holroyd: Crescent Parklands rezoning approved for $525m ‘mini city’

A $525 million development at the southern entrance to Parramatta featuring 1255 new dwellings has been approved despite protests from local groups.

The approval of a 3.8ha “mini city” on the fringes of Parramatta is set to transform our western CBD’s ugliest entrance.

Despite NIMBY cries of over development and the creation of a traffic nightmare, the state government last week gave Ryan Stokes’ ACE Property permission to put towers reaching 28 storeys (96m) on the old WesTrac site at Holroyd.

The Crescent Parklands site is located adjacent to the Holroyd Sports Ground and Woodville Rd, running alongside the M4.

When the final DA is approved – most likely next year – it will become one of the biggest infill construction sites in the country.

Pictured at the site of the new mega development at Holroyd is Australian Capital Equity CEO Ryan Stokes. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“Crescent Parklands will deliver to the community extensive local pedestrian and cycle upgrades, a large public park including children’s playground, affordable housing as well as significant traffic upgrades, retailers, restaurants and cafes for families,” Mr Stokes told The Saturday Telegraph following their successful rezoning.

“Importantly Crescent Parklands will also deliver extensive housing supply supporting local trades, outstanding community amenities, 1.6ha of open space and transport infrastructure, including a free shuttle bus to Harris Park Station.”

The project is set to inject 1255 dwellings into the area, 90 of which will be permanent affordable housing dwellings.

There will now only be 7500sq m of commercial space – reduced from 15,000sq m because of concerns over traffic.

The development will generate about 2500 construction jobs and over 400 jobs on completion, with western Sydney tradies first in line for lucrative demolition and construction contracts over the course of the proposed 10-year redevelopment.

The design of Crescent Parklands at Holroyd, a new development being done by Ryan Stokes.

“The area around auto alley has been the ugliest doorway into our beautiful city, but this project will start to provide Parramatta with the gateway it deserves,” said David Borger, the Business Western Sydney executive director.

“This project is a huge vote of confidence that the city can push out to its south,” he said.

“Last year showed us how important open space is. This development delivers that in droves, being on the doorstep to an incredible area of open space.”

Parramatta Liberal MP Geoff Lee said the project was an important step in transforming “that wasteland into homes for people.”

But not everyone’s happy about the $525 million development.

Some locals said the development “would mean approximately 4000 cars are heading out of and into 1 Crescent Street, Holroyd”.

Another resident said “This proposal is for a high density mixed use and residential development marooned on a site where there is no public transport and difficult vehicular access”.

“It would be difficult to envisage this as a desirable place for anyone to wish to live,” they said.

“The allocation of public space is minuscule. For a resident population likely in the thousands, (this) does not suggest happy barbecues and picnics for residents and visitors as suggested in the exhibition of the proposal – more like shoulder to shoulder crowds and lots of dead grass”.

Mr Stokes’ company will provide a cycling bridge from the site to the existing cycle network that runs parallel to the M4.

The new development will include 87 affordable housing properties for essential workers.

They will also provide an extra traffic lane on Crescent St and will upgrade the intersection that meets Woodville Rd, as well as providing a shuttle bus.

Registered community housing provider Evolve Housing said in a submission they plan to partner with experienced property group ACE Property, “to provide

key workers and their families the desired affordable dwellings at a reduced rental rate”.

“We anticipate that the majority of the tenants in the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be essential service workers in industries including health care, education, emergency services, law enforcement, aged care and childcare,” the company said.

“We will be targeting key workers at Westmead Hospital and the proposed nearby ambulance station to move into these brand-new apartments, which are close to major transport links.”

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