Forster Precinct: Councillors given two options to decide the fate of $25 million project
A Mid-North Coast Council will decide whether it will honour or terminate a development contract for a half-constructed, public-private project in the heart of Forster.
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The future of a half-constructed development in the heart of Forster is in limbo, with MidCoast Council set to decide on Wednesday whether to cut ties or proceed with the project under the current developer.
The joint, private-public Forster Precinct will go before Wednesday's council meeting with two options for councillors to consider as to how the project will proceed.
The development, which was to deliver the council $25 million worth of new civic services for Forster, and the developer, Enyoc, an $80 million residential tower known as Solaris, stalled in May 2020 due to financial concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Work began again late last year, but amended plans were put forward by Enyoc to the council to alter the tower's development.
The fresh plans included amending 53 units in the Solaris development from retiree-only living to regular residential apartments, and scrapping a planned resident clubhouse.
That part of the building will now be converted into commercial floor space for new offices.
A report to councillors recommends the project proceed under Enyoc's amendments (Option A).
If the council decides to terminate the contract, then it would be required to complete the precinct on its own and engage a new developer to finish the Solaris project (Option B).
"A range of options for progressing the project have been discussed in recent months," the report states.
"It is important to acknowledge that the COVID pandemic has had an impact on the timing of the delivery of the project and the developer's funding arrangements.
"Good faith negotiations have been held with the joint aim of delivering the Civic Precinct facilities to the community on a timely basis and with minimal impact on the original agreement between council and Enyoc.
"As a result of these negotiations, Option A is presented to council as the preferred option. Option A is subject to Enyoc receiving approval to modify their development consent to change the use of the residential tower building to include the change in use from Retirement Village units to strata units, the change in use for the Retirement Village common area to commercial and the creation of the Penthouse level.
"This modification is to be considered by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) and the meeting to consider this is planned for July 15, 2021.
"Option B outlines the likely alternative in the event an agreement cannot be reached, to proceed with an arrangement offered by the Developer.
"That option is for council to terminate the Development Agreement with the Developer and proceed with the Project on a stand-alone basis.
"If council proceeds with this option, then either council could complete both the Stage 1 council facility and the Developer facility simultaneously, or council has the option to only complete its facility as a priority, and then determine what to do with the Developer’s facility once the council facility has been completed."
The report states that if council where to choose option B, then it would need to fork out an additional $10 million to complete the Precinct project on its own.
A decision will be reached at Wednesday's meeting.
EARLIER
Fresh plans lodged for $80m project
On April 2, 2021
Plans to restart construction on a stalled $80 million development at Forster looks likely, albeit with a number of changes proposed to the development which was first approved four years ago.
Modification paperwork has been lodged with MidCoast Council for the Forster Precinct at West St, Forster, that includes amending 53 units in the Solaris development above the precinct from retiree-only living to regular residential apartments.
It is one of a number of changes that the developer, Enyoc, seeks to achieve in the final design which was approved back in 2017 before construction on the lower levels of the development began two years later. No work has been done on the development since May last year when it was halted due to financial impacts resulting from COVID-19.
A foundation and a few floors have been laid at its central Forster location, which will include community and civic spaces, a library, council customer service centre and a mixed seniors and residential tower on top.
It is the residential component of the building which the developer is seeking to make the most changes too.
“The existing residential apartments approved in Building A were proposed as seniors housing apartments,” the modification states.
“The proposal involves the use of these same unit space/areas as residential apartments.
“The proposed change will remove any age restriction on occupation of the units and the units are not required to meet the accessibility standards contained in the State Environmental Planning Policy for Seniors Housing.”
A number of units will remain as seniors-only accommodation, however, with the developer seeking to scale back on the number of seniors units, the need for a previously planned resident clubhouse has been scrapped.
That part of the building will now be converted into commercial floor space for new offices.
One penthouse will included a four-bedroom dwelling with large living areas and multiple outdoor balconies/courtyards, while the other two will contain three bedrooms with large living areas and multiple outdoor balconies courtyards.
An original rooftop garden area will be retained, but will include the addition of a swimming pool and a covered barbecue under the modified changes.
The new proposal submitted to MidCoast Council is the clearest indication yet that the project looks set to be reinvigorated after last year’s setback.
The Mid-North Coast News has tried contacting Enyoc CEO Coyne Graham for comment.
MidCoast council received $6 million of Federal Funding through the National Stronger Regions Fund to fund the new Forster Civic Precinct, which would deliver a number of new civic services and facilities.
The council matched the federal contribution dollar-for-dollar to build a public library of 2,000 sq metres, a customer service centre and Visitor Information Centre.
Offices, meeting rooms and amenities, an indoor and an outdoor public community space capable of accommodating at least 200 people and about 180 carparking spaces were also part of the plan.
In 2015, the council resolved to investigate the possibility of entering into a commercial arrangement with a developer to allow a mix of private and public use of he site on the edge of Forster‘s CBD.
In 2017, It signed on with Enyoc – who provided a further $6 million of in-kind support to deliver the public component of the project, taking the total cost of the project to $18 million.
The deal included Enyoc building its own commercial project – known as Solaris – on the same site, and to which the above modifications largely relate too.
The original plans for this included 139 seniors apartments, a new five-star hotel, nightclub, cinemas and supermarket.
The modified proposal will go before the Northern Region Planning Panel for determination.
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