Toukley Lakeside Gardens: Roof top spas out, serviced apartments in amid more changes to plans

Roof top spas will be cut while serviced apartments will be included amid further proposed changes to Toukley’s longest running development saga. See what’s planned here.

An artist's impression of the Lakeside Gardens development for 216-224 Main Rd, Toukley. Picture: supplied

Toukley’s tallest building — the 11-storey Lakeside Gardens — is set to undergo even further changes with the new owner lodging amended plans for the area’s longest running development saga.

Plans for Lakeside Gardens were first lodged back in 2002 before being approved by the Land and Environment Court in 2017 for 109 units, three commercial tenancies and four split levels of basement parking.

Local developer Morris Wheeler sold the DA-approved site in 2018 — after council approved a change from tourism units to residential units — to UPG 181 Pty Ltd, which set about lodging extensive amendments to the facade, landscaping and internal layout in 2022.

The owner, through western Sydney developer the Bathla Group, has now lodged further changes to the $30m project at 216-224 Main Rd, Toukley.

Under the proposed changes, roof top spas for the four penthouse apartments have been scrapped “to reduce building bulk from street view” but their private gardens and pergolas will remain.

The roof top spas for the four penthouse units will go under the proposed changes but the private courtyard gardens will remain. Artist’s impression: supplied

There will also be 35 serviced apartments added throughout the first seven floors of the tower, along with a building manager’s office on the ground floor.

Thirty five carparking spaces out of the total 156 spaces will be allocated to the serviced apartments while the trademark “portal” opening through the middle of the tower will also undergo a bit of a redesign.

Many faces: An artist’s impression of previous version of the development before more curves were introduced to the facade in 2022.

The plans state the “knock-on effect” of this design change will see the overall number of apartments drop from 108 to 101.

The changes also provides a more diverse mix of units with 18 one-bedroom units compared with 14 one-beds previously, 50 two-bedroom units compared with 63 previously and 29 three-bedroom units compared with 31 previously.

The 5300sq m site located between Toukley’s CBD and The Beachcomber Hotel has an extensive frontage to Budgewoi Lake and would feature a private jetty, landscaped communal gardens and ground floor swimming pool.

The units on the upper floors of the 11-storey building will also enjoy views out to sea and to The Entrance and beyond to the south.