West Pennant Hills: Mirvac proposes swimming pool, gym for former IBM site

A swimming pool and gym are planned for a recreation centre as part of a controversial $236m development in Sydney’s northwest. Check out the latest from the project.

A concept design for the recreation area on the former IBM site at West Pennant Hills.

Developer Mirvac is proposing an $8.7m indoor recreation centre with a swimming pool, skate park and gym to be built for residents and their guests who will call the major residential project at West Pennant Hills their home.

More than 400 dwellings including houses and apartments are slated for the 26-hectare site bordering the Cumberland State Forest on 55 Coonara Ave.

The residential community has long attracted controversy because of plans to wipe out 3000 trees for the homes.

Subject to approval, the centre would feature a basketball half-court, playground, indoor and outdoor community dining area with outdoor cooking facilities, a deck on one side of the pool and a carpark to be constructed over the IBM multi-deck carpark, which has not yet been demolished.

No trees are to be removed and the statement of environmental effects said the proposal would provide significantly “greater amounts of landscaped space, which will assist in improving the quality of the natural environment”.

The document also stated the proposal was in the public interest.

How the recreation centre could look.

Some of the dwellings proposed.

“The proposal will deliver on intentions to promote high levels of community activity and

interaction within natural and building environments that will complement the existing and

desired future character of the area,’’ it read.

“Accordingly, the proposed development will result in a positive development outcome for the

neighbourhood, the West Pennant Hills locality and The Hills LGA more broadly.’’

Construction of apartments is also expected to go full throttle with another development application lodged for 252 dwellings over four buildings and a basement carpark for 456 vehicles.

Controversy has enveloped the huge project since it was proposed with community groups opposing the loss of flora and fauna on the site.

But in September 2021, it West Pennant Hills had reached a major milestone when the Federal Environment Minister gave the final green light to bulldoze existing buildings and to clear vegetation.