Community group fights plans for Metro station tower
THE State Government has released plans to build a 42-storey commercial and retail hub above the Sydney Metro station. But a newly-formed community organisation wants a different outcome.
ANOTHER tower is set to rise among the skyscrapers in North Sydney.
The State Government has released plans to build a 42-storey commercial and retail hub above the Sydney Metro station.
But a newly-formed community organisation wants a different outcome.
The Committee for North Sydney launched last week and instead of a tower the members want a heart for the CBD.
“We don’t want just another bloody office building,” leading group member Ian Grey said.
“We want something that’s open and accessible and friendly for people to congregate.
“Give North Sydney a heart. It completely lacks that at the moment.”
In the group’s view the best outcome for the site would be to have no building at all.
Instead there would be a plaza or green space where people can sit out and enjoy a coffee.
Mr Grey pointed out that the space where the building is planned is a rare sunny spot in the CBD.
“It’s the last pocket where you can get sunlight,” Mr Grey said.
“You can set up somewhere friendly for people to come and have a chat that isn’t a wind tunnel.”
The group also believes another positive outcome would be a building with public amenities such as a theatre.
“If there is a big building, does it have to be an office building with more retail shops?,” he said. “Can’t we do a bit better than that?
“There’s nothing unique about a big office building.”
The State Government has said Victoria Cross integrated station development promises to deliver a plaza with much-needed public amenity and space, and a high-quality commercial development.
The building proposal is for 40 commercial storeys and two additional floors for rooftop greening projects. It would also include basement carparking with up to 150 spaces. When the Metro comes online in 2024 it will take five minutes to travel to Martin Place and three minutes to Barangaroo.
A Sydney Metro spokeswoman said the Victoria Cross proposal supports the council’s vision of North Sydney being a thriving CBD as well as including the public plaza.
“The form and scale of Sydney Metro’s concept proposal is considered to be consistent with that of recent commercial buildings approved in North Sydney’s CBD, and anticipated under the council’s new planning controls,” she said.
“An open public plaza is proposed at Victoria Cross Station, and under the current indicative design, will provide significant public domain outcomes including a new through site link connecting Miller St with Denison St.”
The Committee wants to get some public discussion running on how to get North Sydney to be a much more attractive CBD in the next 10 years.
“The point is we want a much better city, not stop the development. That’s the whole spirit of it,” Mr Grey said. “We want it to be a CBD with lots of jobs and opportunities.”
SNEAK PEEK AT METRO
THE Crows Nest community got an early look at how the suburb could be transformed by the Sydney Metro.
Two drop-in sessions hosted by the project team attracted interested residents who were keen to browse through the plans for buildings above the station.
“The community has been interested to find out more about the proposed building uses, the planning process and timing of the construction of the buildings,” a Metro spokeswoman said.
So far, 170 people have attended the sessions and the Metro team are expecting more at the next events later this month.
They are seen as the first step in engaging with the community about the buildings.
Four buildings are currently proposed. These include a set of 27 storey residential towers, an eight-storey commercial building and potentially a 17-storey hotel.
Sydney Metro has investigated a number of height options for the buildings above the station, as well as different land uses for the site.
Documents at the information session showed how the height levels planned provide a transition between the taller buildings in St Leonards and the existing low-rise character of Crows Nest village.
“Sydney Metro is committed to protecting the local village feel of Crows Nest,” the spokeswoman said.
Building above the stations along the Sydney Metro line will contribute to the funding of the major infrastructure project.
Excavation work is underway at the Crows Nest site and an acoustic shed will minimise the impact of dust and noise on the community.
Two more Sydney Metro information sessions are scheduled for the Northside Conference Centre on July 21 from 10am to 1pm and July 23 from 4pm to 7pm. Anyone is welcome to attend and give their opinions.
The community will again have the opportunity to provide feedback in the next two stages of the planning process.
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