Castle Hill RSL Club development overhauled, new $242m plans revealed
A new plan to transform a northwest Sydney RSL club into a massive housing development has been revealed, as developers behind the project walk back $100m in aged-care facilities.
Hills Shire
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A new plan to transform Castle Hill RSL Club into a sprawling seniors housing development – which overhauls the original 249-apartment pitch for the site – has been revealed.
A modified development application was submitted to Hills Shire Council by the Castle Hill RSL Group some six years after the Sydney Central City Planning Panel approved the original $340 million project.
The 2018 plan proposed the partial demolition of the RSL Club and the construction of seniors housing development, including 249 independent living units across five six-storey buildings, 17 serviced care apartments, and a 19-bed aged care facility.
But the new plans will not only save the club from the wrecking ball, but shave almost $100 million off the construction costs.
Castle Hill RSL Group chief executive David O’Neil said despite the original development application being “unanimously supported” by council in 2018, the Group had been exploring opportunities to best grow the club in line with community needs.
“Understandably, over the six years since that approval, design aspirations have evolved, along with the lifestyle expectations residents hold for third age community living,” Mr O’Neil said.
The new plans include building 236 apartments, with additional three-bed and short-stay units, and scrapping the four-storey residential aged care facility in favour of integrated, independent seniors’ living.
Mr O’Neil said the changes “reflect market research and focus group feedback” and were consistent with an industry shift toward priorisiting seniors’ long-term independence by providing home support services.
The original plan to build a 1926-space underground car park has also changed, after a separate proposal for a four-storey 885-space carpark to be built at the front of the RSL Club was presented to council in 2023.
It will serve RSL Club patrons, fitness and aquatics centre customers, and residents of the RSL units – who will have exclusive access to an entire basement level.
Mr O’Neil said the new carpark will provide “seamless access” to parking, with “circa 700 undercover bays”.
The new plans also propose repurposing the on-site Men’s Shed to include a “community offering” and increasing the size of the would-be common piazza.
“This space has been improved with the stepping back of the adjacent apartments, improving residents’ privacy when using their balcony and opening the area up to more sunlight,” Mr O’Neil added.
A Castle Hill RSL Group spokesman said the project timeline is “largely unchanged” by the new plans.
Works are expected to commence early 2026, with product available for sale as early as mid 2025.
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