Council gives green light for ‘upmarket’ apartments in central Wagga

A new apartment block has been approved for Lampe Ave in central Wagga, with developers hoping the “upmarket” units will attract out-of-towners coming to work in the city.

Wagga City Council has approved a two-storey apartment block in central Wagga which its developer says is part of a “new wave of upmarket housing”.

An old shed is currently situated on the site at 2 Lampe Ave, and this will be torn down to make way for the construction of the three modern two-storey units.

The project, to cost around $865,000, will feature two units at the front with a single garage, open-plan living on the ground floor, and three bedrooms, ensuite, and a separate bathroom on the upper floor. The third unit will feature four bedrooms, a double garage and retreat area.

All three units will have separate entry and private open space, as well as shared driveway access off Lampe Ave.

BCM Design Centre Pty will develop the site, with company director Brad Merrett claiming the upmarket apartments will appeal to a range of people, including out-of-town office workers.

“These apartments will be a new wave of upmarket housing which will upgrade Lampe Avenue into the 21st century,” Mr Merrett said.

“We do have full council support. The process has been a long one; we had one member of the community who was concerned about their privacy so we fixed the height of the apartment design, but all in all the community is supportive of the development.”

Councillor Rod Kendall is supportive of more local development. Picture: Patrick Morrow

Wagga City Councillor Rod Kendall said developments such as this helped with housing availability, and showed that Wagga was a great place to live in, and invest in.

“(It) shows confidence ... that Wagga is a great investment place and is a good thing considering the dire predictions with residential homes in Wagga currently,” Mr Kendall said.

“It’s great to see ongoing confidence for people wanting to live and make investments in town.”

An old site will be demolished to make way for the modern apartments. Picture: Patrick Morrow

Mr Merrett said the units would be located in an ideal location to capture the best of what Wagga has to offer.

“Our goal is that this apartment complex will attract office workers from all over the country who are moving to Wagga. It is in the perfect position for anyone to gain the full Wagga experience,” he said.

Mr Merrett said construction would start later this year, with people expected to be living in the apartments by early next year.

“We hope that we can have construction starting midway through the year or the back half of the year. Having people in the apartments in 2023 is our goal,” he said.