Short Street car park The Entrance concept DA lodged

Residents have until the end of February to comment on the latest multi-million dollar plan for a key site at The Entrance. If it gets up, it will be the first and only key site building ever completed.

Short Street Car Park The Entrance: Architects impression of what the development would look like.

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A $50 million residential and retail development with a three-level 326-space car park underneath is the latest proposal which could transform The Entrance.

Central Coast Council has lodged a “concept development application” for the Short Street Carpark which was identified as a “key development site” by the former Wyong Council.

The concept plan still has to be approved by Councillors and the Joint Regional Planning Panel, but if it is ever built, it would be the first and only one of 28 such key sites to reach completion.

Aerial view showing location of the proposed development.

The existing 93-space carpark is behind The Entrance CBD on council-owned land which the development application describes as “under utilised”.

The concept DA proposes 80 residential units in two towers. Tower one is 12 storeys of residential and one of commercial space facing Denning Street.

Tower two contains eight stories of residential and two of commercial facing Bayview Avenue.

Underneath the towers would be commercial and public space and the underground carpark.

Development application documents said the proposal was an “employment opportunity” that would provide more housing choices and improve public space at The Entrance.

View of the existing car park from Short Street looking south at The Entrance.

”It is considered the proposal will have positive social and economic impacts for the local area,” documents said.

The proposal is on public exhibition for comment until February 1 after which a report will got to Central Coast Council with recommendations about what the next step should be to see the concept plan become a reality.

Short Street Car Park The Entrance: Site plan for The Entrance Development.

In a confusing twist to the story, Central Coast Council voted last year not to extend the key site program which officially ended in December. The scheme was intended to promote economic growth and create jobs by offering incentives to developers to build iconic building on key sites.

The concept plan DA has managed squeak in because the original concept DA was lodged before the key sites scheme ended, but was sent back to the drawing board by the Joint Regional Planning Pannel for changes.