Work about to start on new John Stokes Square public housing apartments in Nightcliff
CONSTRUCTION on three new multimillion-dollar public housing blocks at John Stokes Square in Nightcliff will start next week with the government tender finally being awarded.
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- Demolition underway for John Stokes Square with housing facility, police station on the way
- Demolition crews to knock down Nightcliff public housing block this week
- Demolition tender released for John Stokes Square redevelopment
CONSTRUCTION on three new multimillion-dollar public housing blocks at John Stokes Square will start next week with the government tender finally being awarded.
The NT News can reveal Berrimah-based residential developer Greenspace Group has been awarded the contract, worth just over $27.4 million, to construct the new John Stokes Square Residential Precinct that will comprise 78 new public housing apartments in Nightcliff.
The NT Government started looking for expressions of interest for the project four years ago and it’s expected to be completed by mid 2021.
Seventy-five one-bedroom units at the notorious public housing estate were knocked down last June to make way for three new, purpose-built, four-storey housing accommodation blocks.
They will contain 66 one- bedroom and 12 two-bedroom apartments.
Greenspace Group will also be constructing spaces for non-government organisations on the building’s ground floors, communal breakout areas within levels in each unit block and a communal garden.
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Member for Nightcliff Natasha Fyles said the construction work was expected to create about 100 new jobs.
“The social housing which previously sat on this site needed upgrading for quite some time, and I look forward to construction commencing soon on these purpose-built apartments and NGO offices,” she said.
Greenspace Group founder Steven Koukouvas said this was one of his company’s biggest projects yet.
He said they were looking to breaking ground and starting works as early as next week.
“I want to get as much done as possible before the wet season starts, so we should be into the earthworks by early July and then start doing the foundations soon after that,” he said.
“We’ve done some Defence housing and public housing for the government in Zuccoli but this will be the biggest job by far.”
The upgraded John Stokes Square Precinct will also include a new 24-hour police station to address the ongoing crime problems that have plagued the area.
The Halikos Group was awarded the contract to construct the new Nightcliff station in December and started work in February.
They are also expected to complete construction in mid 2021.
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The Gunner Government has committed $45 million in total to this redevelopment, as a part of a 2016 election promise.
Ms Fyles said residents who lived in the old public housing had been relocated or provided temporary accommodation.
The average public housing wait times for a one-bedroom property in Darwin is six to eight years.
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