Central Coast Council’s secret $171 million tower plan for library, performing arts centre, uncovered
EXCLUSIVE: The community has been kept in the dark as Central Coast Council developed secret plans for a $171 million tower to house the regional performing arts centre and library.
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Central Coast Council has dumped plans for a fully-funded stand-alone regional performing arts centre (RPAC) and library to instead build both as part of a $171 million high rise plan of its own.
The proposal has been developed under a veil of secrecy over the last nine months, voted upon by councillors in confidential session, and was presented to the coast’s federal and state MPs by Mayor Jane Smith and CEO Gary Murphy at another confidential meeting on Friday, June 21.
The Express Advocate understands the community was never supposed to know about the Gosford CBD proposal — its scale, form or costings — until it was deemed to be “DA-ready”.
But, plans have been formed, consultants paid, costings estimated, and the negotiation of several property sales between the council and private landholders are well advanced.
In fact, about $5 million has spent on the top-secret proposal so far.
For the first time, the Express Advocate can reveal the council intends to build the performing arts centre and regional library within a $171 million high rise development, which would also include commercial office space, suites for private training organisation ET Australia, as well as underground carparking.
If realised it would become the single biggest project undertaken by the council, but as recently as yesterday council staff and the office of the mayor refused to confirm any details of the tower plan or whether it existed.
“Council are finalising commercial negotiations for multiple parcels of land to realise the full potential of the Gosford Cultural Precinct,” a statement read.
“Council will not comment on the status of these confidential negotiations.”
The proposed development would be built between Donnison St and Henry Parry Drive and the council intends to use a $10 million NSW Government grant, as well as a $10 million federal government grant, both lobbed to build the RPAC, for the project.
It would also access $7 million from the federal government and $8.1 million from the former Gosford City Council’s special rate variation, which were both earmarked for the regional library.
How the other $135 million required to build the project would be raised remains a mystery but it is likely to be borrowed.
Plans have been the subject of confidential briefings with councillors since at least September 2018 when they voted to combine the library and RPAC projects under the new Gosford Cultural Precinct moniker.
Councillors directed Mr Murphy at that same meeting to proceed with “detailed design development” of the project and he has since been directed to negotiate to buy several properties in the CBD.
It was reported in September that Cr Smith said all details would be made public once the project reached the development application stage.
Last week, two councillors — independent Greg Best and Liberal Troy Marquart — spoke out over the “huge cost” of the council proposal and implored the council to “go public” with the details.
Neither Mr Best or Mr Marquart could reveal details of the project due to the strict confidentiality conditions surrounding it.
In an interview with the Express Advocate last week Mr Best spoke of his unease that “a project of this size” did not have any public profile.
“I can’t fathom not involving the public in the journey,” Cr Best said
“There has to be an update or there will be an uproar when the public find out.”
The council is currently locked deep into negotiations with ET Australia to acquire their property at 123B-125A Donnison St, Gosford. ET bought the property in April 2017 for $3.5 million.
It is also locked into a negotiations with the owners of 75 Mann St, which was bought in 2003 for $700,000 and is now valued at several million dollars more.
Robertson Federal Liberal MP Lucy Wicks, Dobell Federal Labor MP Emma McBride, Labor Senator Deb O’Neill, State Labor MPs Liesl Tesch, David Harris and David Mehan; as well as Liberal MLC Taylor Martin were all present at the briefing on the project held at the Gosford administration building last week.
After the briefing, Ms Tesch indicated her support for the project.
“I believe Council’s plan to build a tower in Gosford will create more local jobs, revitalise the CBD and offer local businesses the opportunity to thrive in our community,” Ms Tesch said.
“Projects such as this create the opportunities for our commuters to work locally.”
Liberal MLC for the Central Coast Taylor Martin said the plan needed to be aired.
“Councillors supporting this monstrosity need to take it to next year’s election, not ram it through under the cover of confidential sessions,” he said.
A council spokeswoman said staff were preparing a report for councillors to outline the cost of “engaging an auditor to examine the Gosford Cultural Precinct Project”.
The auditor, if engaged, could report to the council on risks in relation to land acquisition, capital, construction costs and operating costs over a ten year period.
That report will return to the council on August 26.
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