Royal North Shore Hospital: redevelopment for 500 units, school
Buildings at Royal North Shore Hospital would be bulldozed and redeveloped into high-rise living for frontline workers, a hotel and a new school, under a jaw-dropping NSW Government plan. WATCH THE VIDEO
North Shore
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The north shore skyline would continue to rise under plans to demolish buildings at the region’s largest hospital and build 500 units, a hotel and a new school.
The State Government has released plans to redevelop a 2.27ha block of land at Royal North Shore Hospital into housing and retail areas overlooking St Leonards Station and Gore Hill Oval.
A concept video of the proposal shows the project would include a main residential tower, along with a “medi-hotel”, shops, offices, hospital-related services and 9000 sqm for a new school.
Property NSW said 75 per cent of the units would be allocated to key workers including nurses and paramedics, while the hotel would assist in accommodating pre and post-operative patients, carers and visiting clinicians.
The plans are the latest major development mooted for the St Leonards town centre. These also include a 195m tower at 524-542 Pacific Hwy and the recently opened 115m St Leonards Square development.
The State Government has also fast-tracked the development of 423 units at 575-583 Pacific Hwy and sites on Atchison St and Christie St in a move it said was aimed at creating jobs in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The cumulative impacts of the projects have sparked concerns from some residents with objections to congestion, overdevelopment and the lack of public infrastructure to keep up the suburb’s booming population.
Property NSW said the proposal would promote jobs in the area and could reduce traffic by encouraging hospital employees to live closer to work.
“The redevelopment will create new jobs within the precinct (and) a range of options for managing traffic will also be investigated including promoting walking and cycling,” the plans stated.
Funding has been allocated towards planning for a new primary school, however plans stated it was “too early to confirm the location, final scope or project timelines”.
The concept proposal shows heritage buildings at the site would be retained for use by the hospital including the Vanderfield Building, currently used as a teaching hospital.
There are also “opportunities for complementary clinical services to be included in the redevelopment”, the plans added.
Planning NSW said consultation would be held before a detailed planning proposal is expected to be lodged in 2021.
The site would remain government-owned with development works to be carried out by the private sector through a tender process.