Major redevelopment of Petersham RSL moves step closer
Petersham RSL is the latest club turning to residential development to ensure its survival
Inner West
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A MAJOR redevelopment of the Petersham RSL will bring life back to the an area which resembles a “ghost town” at night.
So says Deicorp director Fouad Deiri, the developer behind the project, which will range in height from 20m to 35m over three sites.
The RSL venue will be demolished and a new 3500sq m club, including two dining areas, day spa and kids zone, will be built over one level across the road on the corner of Trafalgar and Regent streets.
The existing 150 parking spots will be consolidated into a carpark underneath the new club with about 120 apartments to be built above it.
Last Tuesday Inner West Council approved altering planning controls to allow for about 350 apartments across the three sites, 67 more than what’s currently allowed.
But first the public will get a say on the $10.5 million voluntary planning agreement, which includes six affordable housing units, to be transferred to the council, 24 public parking spaces and $3.5 million to improve community facilities.
Resident Adrienne Shilling pleaded with councillors to reject the height increase. She also asked for 20 per cent of the apartments to be affordable and for a precinct traffic analysis and public park to be provided as part of the development.
“Certainly we must not forget our fallen soldiers and their great contributions to our country, yet we must also not forget or ignore the huge and varied impacts on our community this development will bring,” she said.
Out of 181 public submissions, 165 were supportive.
“For many years this part of Petersham, especially at night, is almost a ghost town, it’s dead so this development is going to bring life back to the area,” Mr Deiri said.
“On New Canterbury Rd there are a lot of restaurants struggling to stay open. The business that will be generated for those restaurants and shops is huge.”
The club’s CEO Danny Fitzgerald said they would plant 37 new trees, put power lines underground and provide a public area by connecting Trafalgar St to Regent St via Fozzard Lane.
As part of the deal with Deicorp, the club will get an undisclosed number of apartments to “diversify its revenue” by providing rental income to ensure it doesn’t join the long list of RSL’s which have shut.
“We’ve been in the community for 100 years so we want to ensure we are still here in 100 years time; if you don’t change, you die,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
The number of gaming machines will not be increased from 250.