Rouse Hill Town Centre: Developer GPT proposes new residential units and retail hubs

A town centre in a burgeoning Hills suburb could soon receive yet another multimillion-dollar redevelopment after plans were submitted for new retail hubs and four residential towers, containing 218 apartments. See what’s planned.

A town centre in a booming Hills suburb could soon receive yet another multimillion-dollar upgrade.

Development plans, valued at $216 million, have been lodged by property group GPT for the construction of 218 new apartments and fresh retail hubs in Rouse Hill Town Centre.

The proposed site is located on the northern edge of the existing shopping hub — with majority of the site made up of the existing carpark just south of Rouse Hill Dr.

The four residential towers will sit on either side of Civic Ways, with the development site near a future hospital site, 1.4km away from Rouse Hill high school and 450m away from Rouse Hill metro station.

According to the developer’s plans, certain shops will be demolished to pave the way for this mega redevelopment including Forever New, Best and Less and Lifestyle Warehouse.

What it could look like … artist impression of the intersection of Civic Way and Rouse Hill Dr.

Planning documents state the redeveloped town centre would “continue the open mall” feeling of the current town centre.

There will be a ‘town green’, a new public open space bordering the apartments, as well as communal spaces at the intersection of laneways and ‘retail loops’.

Artist impression of the town green.

The retail spaces will have natural light and landscaping.

The four new residential towers will all contain a selection of apartment sizes, ranging from one bedroom to three bedrooms. Each pair of residential buildings will have its on rooftop carparking and communal open space.

“The proposed development continues the evolution of Rouse Hill Town Centre to meet the needs of customers, residents and the local community,” a GPT spokeswoman said.

“(It) will allow Rouse Hill Town Centre to expand as a mixed-use, multifunctional and integrated destination that would comprise retail, community, commercial, residential and leisure activities.”

What the residential streetscape could look like …

Artist impression of Rouse Hill drive and Civic Way’s intersection.

Currently, the existing town centre contains 63,700 sqm of retail and business premises, including two supermarkets, over 200 specialty stores, a cinema and a library.

This proposal, which includes residential towers ranging from seven to eleven storeys in height, comes after the developer submitted $100 million expansion plans for the expansion of the shopping centre and a $35 million development application for an 11-storey residential tower on the corner of Caddies Blvd and Rouse Hill Dr in 2019.

According to the developer, the proposal changed after NSW Health’s 2021 announcement of a new hospital just north of the town — an announcement which “necessitated a total rethink” of the redeveloped town centre.

The development application will be determined in the coming months by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel. If approved, the expansion is expected to begin in late 2022.