South Village Kirrawee: brick pit development almost complete
A SMALL suburb on the Princes Highway in Sydney’s south will become a modern, walkable high rise village when a new development is finally complete.
St George Shire Standard
Don't miss out on the headlines from St George Shire Standard. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A SMALL suburb on the Princes Highway in Sydney’s south will become a modern, walkable high rise village when a new development is finally complete.
The never-ending story of Kirrawee’s brick pit site will begin a new chapter when the controversial South Village development is finally complete.
Young first homebuyers could finally break into the prohibitively steep Shire property market with one bedroom apartments starting at a relatively low $565,000.
South Village will incorporate more than 800 one, two and three-bedroom apartments in seven buildings, Coles and Aldi supermarkets, more than 30 restaurants and retailers.
The suburb will also become instantly more walkable as it is situated just 150m from Kirrawee station, and residents will no longer have to drive to Sutherland, Kareela or Miranda to access major supermarkets.
A spokesman for developer Deicorp said South Village would be an incredible destination for local residents looking for convenience and value for money.
“The vast majority of our buyers so far have been local Shire residents seeking a new or first home with incredible views and everything at their fingertips,” he said.
“Coles and Aldi as anchor retailers in addition to the other boutique food and fitness retailers are a great attraction for young, busy Shire locals on the move.”
The spokesman said a large park inside South Village would also provide room for residents to stretch their legs and walk their dogs.
“We are truly excited to deliver one of the newest communities in Sydney and to be part of one of the freshest food and dining precincts of 2018,” he added.
The construction of a new pedestrian bridge from the south side of the Princes Highway to the north will even connect residents to the award-winning Prince Hotel, while the first stage of a new bike and pedestrian path from Sutherland to Cronulla will run through Kirrawee.
However, supermarkets, bike paths and even a path straight to the pub aren’t selling many long-term residents who worry about congestion and the development’s overall scale.
The former vacant brick pit site, the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra train line, and the Princes Highway will soon have to accommodate thousands of new residents.
Resident Lisa Glanfield said local residents would not forego their cars when it rains.
“I’d imagine the people who live there won’t drive to the shops under them and maybe the people who live in the units close by may walk there, but I see everyone else driving there especially if they need to buy quite a lot of stuff,” Ms Glanfield said.
Sammy Corry said he was happy to see how the development panned out.
“I’m apprehensive about the traffic and what the extra apartments will do for our property value,” Mr Corry said.
“It could dilute the market but it could also add value with the extra shops going in.”
However, other residents were less optimistic.
“Hate it. A massive problem from the beginning and can’t imagine what sort of headache it will be in years to come when it becomes run down and no longer and shiny new,” Rhonda Tyrrell said.
“I don’t know anyone who is happy about it – looks horrible, out of place, apartments and shops are overpriced,” Mark Barnes added.
Several residents also complained about overcrowded peak hour train services and a potential lack of parking spaces.
Tell us what you think about the development on Facebook or Twitter.