RIDBC North Rocks site: EG Wealth proposal for 1200 apartments

Multimillion-dollar plans for 1200 homes across dozens of apartment buildings in a Hills suburb have been revealed.

Artist impressions of the plans for the RIDBC site.

The former home of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in North Rocks could soon be demolished for an eye-watering 1200 new homes across as many as 20 different apartment complexes ranging up to eight storeys in height.

NewsLocal can reveal a masterplanned redevelopment of the site — surrounded by thousands of single dwellings — is currently being created by investment firm, EG Wealth, which earmarks the construction of a “residential village, new oval precinct, village green, six new parks and potential community hub and library” at the historic site of the North Rocks institute and school.

An overview of the redevelopment of the site at North Rocks Rd

Plans, which have already been pitched to Parramatta Council in pre-planning proposal meetings, also include seniors housing and “low-rise apartments”.

An EG Wealth planner for the project said 20 per cent of the masterplanned community would be made up by seniors housing, also promising a “full-sized sports oval and pavilion” to local sporting groups.

The planner said the development would also include “the formation of a civic heart … for civic activities centred around a new village green adjacent the oval precinct, including local markets and fetes”.

EG Wealth also forecast the construction of a community hub with a potential new multi-

purpose space, meeting rooms, and local learning hub and library.

In 2018, it was revealed the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children would place the North Rocks facility on the market, with expectations of a $200 million payday for the organisation.

What the RIDBC’s former home could be transformed into.

In December last year, a $72 million plan for a Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children centre of excellence at Macquarie University was put on public exhibition.

It is proposed to include a new pre school and primary school as well as an expansive health consulting services centre.

North Rocks Liberal councillor, Andrew Jefferies, said a 30 per cent increase in dwelling numbers across North Rocks — which currently includes around 3800 homes — was “completely unjustified”

“While I don’t blame RIDBC for wanting to maximise the sale price, they know full well that the site is zoned low density and have had many discussions with both The Hills Shire Council and the City of Parramatta about how to achieve a low density, low rise outcome,” Cr Jefferies told the Parramatta Advertiser.

Parramatta councillor Andrew Jefferies hit out at the proposal for the North Rocks site. AAP IMAGE / MARK SCOTT

“These discussions have been going on for five years and the reason that there’s been no movement on the sale is that the RIDBC are hoping to maximise the sale price by council rezoning the site to high density.

“The proposal from EG Wealth is not based upon good planning outcomes, what’s best for our local community here in North Rocks and Carlingford or an equitable outcome that compares with the IBM site at West Pennant Hills — but rather the number of dwellings that the developer needs to build in order to justify purchasing the site from RIDBC.”

An overview of the development.

Cr Jefferies said he didn’t support the developers proposal to rezone the site.

“There’s no one that I’m aware of in the North Rocks and Carlingford community who would support such an obnoxious, half-baked proposal, particularly given its location well away from the future light rail, the Metro or heavy rail lines,” he said.

EG Wealth were contacted for comment.