Green light for $25m office block, car park in Wagga

Wagga City Council has approved a multi-storey commercial development, which promises to create major business investment in the city.

Wagga City Council has approved a five-storey office block in the centre of town which promises to create major business investment in the city.

The development, situated at 199-205 Morgan St, will also include a six-storey car park with more than 500 parking spaces.

It’s part of a $180M high-rise residential and commercial precinct planned for the site.

Wagga Council voted in favour of passing this stage of the development four votes to two at its last council meeting, and construction is set to start within 12 months.

Councillor Dan Hayes has backed the project which he believes will help develop Wagga into a regional business hub.

Wagga Councillor Dan Hayes is in full support of the project.

“I am in support of it as it will help Wagga grow in the future,” Mr Hayes said.

“(It’s) one part of a bigger concept in Wagga which we need to grow up and develop our business precinct.

“There will be challenges over the future with the car park precinct and increase of traffic around the site, which means we will have to be mindful of this in the coming future, but this is sorely needed for Wagga.”

However Councillor Georgie Davies said the development application “did not sit well” with her, as it would lead to less open space and more traffic congestion.

“Other issues overshadowing this DA is lack of privacy to the people of Morgan St,” she said.

A single-storey building now on the Morgan St site - currently occupied by an indigenous art centre and vintage car club - will make way for the development.

A building on the Morgan St site, which is currently occupied by an indigenous art centre and vintage car club, will make way for the development. Picture: Patrick Morrow

Damasa property management company will develop the site, with company director Manuel Donebus dubbing it the “next big thing” for Wagga.

He said once built, it would also be the most environmentally friendly office precinct in the city.

The development will utilise renewable energy, with the building to be powered by solar panels and 60 EV charging stations for EV cars to be supplied for future occupants of the apartments.

“It will be a five-and-a-half star energy rating building and is an A-grade office space for corporate and government and retail services,” Mr Donebus said.

He said the precinct was already attracting interest by local businesses in Wagga and also by multinational companies.

“We have had requests from multinational companies wanting to use the office space. This will be great for Wagga to be able to compete with the major cities in Australia in the business world,” he said.

Mr Donebus pointed out that the need for apartments was also greatly needed in Wagga, and the approval for this part of the precinct was one step on the way to meeting that demand.

“The market is there for modern apartments in Wagga, with this we think the demand will be there as Wagga is a growth area with a predicted population of 100,000 people by 2038 and we need to provide different developments to make Wagga the next hub for business and living,” he said.

The owners of Carlo’s Cafe, which is next door to the development, are excited by what the precinct will bring in terms of a flow-on effect for other businesses.

Owner Brad Neal welcomed the development and said it would “see employment in the local area and see some real growth in the area around Morgan St and will be great for the local community as a whole.”

Carlo’s Cafe, which is next door to the development, are excited by what the precinct will bring in terms of a flow-on effect for other businesses. Picture: Patrick Morrow

“We want to capture the local market for the future with plans ourselves to develop our cafe into an upstairs bar and cafe to provide a service for the future occupants next door to our business which will be great,” Mr Neal said.

Mr Donebus said the next stage of the development needed to go through council and public consultation in the months ahead.

“The project will still go through public consultation and council applications for the next stage of the development in the later months, we are hoping the whole precinct will be finished by 2034,” he said.