Despair as Sydney Metro rail project claims popular North Sydney Tower Square shopping centre
THE State Government is buying up shops in the Tower Square development to make way for a Sydney Metro station and one of the landlords, Nick Salanitro, is furious.
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The Tower Square shopping centre in North Sydney is set to be wiped out to make way for the Sydney Metro rail link
The State Government is buying up the shops in the Miller St development and one of the landlords Nick Salanitro is furious.
He doesn’t believe he is being offered a fair price as he cannot afford to buy a premises in a similar spot in North Sydney.
“What’s not fair is we’ve been taken out and everybody else will benefit,” he said.
“I thought one day this place would be worth a lot of money for what it is. It is worth a lot of money but not for us.”
Tower Square is about 35 years old and houses more than 30 businesses including several restaurants and retail stores.
Mr Salanitro bought a premises there in 1997 and almost a decade later bought another shop in the names of his children.
He is waiting to settle with the State Government.
“I’m very sad because I love the place. It's vibrant. You see people here all the time,” he said.
Tower Square is part of a strip of buildings stretching from Berry St that are planned to be demolished to make way for the construction of a new station called Victoria Cross.
Transport for NSW said 31 freehold interests have been acquired at the North Sydney site and that it expects to build above the station.
“The new metro stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross in North Sydney ... are all being designed to allow for future above- station development. Transport for NSW is currently working on options for these stations,” a spokeswoman said.
North Sydney Council said it had no control over the locations chosen for acquisition and demolition.
“Council recognises the value of Tower Square in terms of its contribution to the Centre’s character and amenity,” a spokeswoman said.
“We are working with the State Government to ensure that the new development provides an improved public realm and excellent amenity for workers, residents and visitors.”
SYDNEY METRO FACT FILE
● Sydney Metro is Australia’s biggest public transport project — 31 metro stations and more than 65km of new metro rail between Rouse Hill in Sydney’s north west and Bankstown in the south west.
●Stage 1: the $8.3 billion Sydney Metro Northwest (formerly the North West Rail Link) — is more than halfway complete. The 36km line will open in the first half of 2019 with 13 metro stations, 4000 commuter car parking spaces and a metro train every four minutes in the peak, or 15 trains an hour.
●Stage 2: Sydney Metro City & Southwest — is a 30km extension of metro rail from the end of Sydney Metro Northwest at Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour, through new underground CBD stations and beyond into the South West. It is expected to open in 2024.
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