The Star launches design competition for $500m tower

The Star has announced a design competition for its proposed $500m tower, now set to open before Packer’s development.

The start of the design process puts The Star on track to open the new 220-room hotel in mid to late 2020. Picture: Adam Yip/ The Australian.

The Star Entertainment is on track to open the doors to its proposed $500 million Sydney tower before James Packer opens his casino in the harbour city, with the launch of an architectural design competition.

The Star announced today it had invited three architectural firms, who will be revealed next week, to contest the right to create the new Sydney tower design which. In addition to the hotel and residential components, the tower will include further works to connect the new hotel to the existing casino property, with additional works including a restaurant and bar precinct.

Matt Bekier, chief executive of The Star, said Sydney needed more quality hotels and exciting entertainment and hospitality infrastructure to win its share of tourism growth, particularly from China.

“Our development concept will take The Star’s room inventory to more than 1000, bring The Ritz-Carlton brand back to Sydney and add a further 20 food and beverage venues,” he said.

“Our approach, featuring the design competition and community engagement, will enable us to develop an integrated resort on our site that truly reflects the unique character of our city, and provides an attraction that all of Sydney can enjoy and be proud of.”

The tower, and the associated works, will cost up to $500m, which is in addition to the $500m worth of upgrades and improvements underway and in planning at The Star Sydney. The casino company gained the support of its partners in the $3 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane development, Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium, for its Sydney plans.

The Star, likely taking lessons from the community backlash to Mr Packer’s Barangaroo plans, have decided to involve the community in the initial design phase, before approvals are sought.

The company has set up a design panel to review the options from the three architects and it will also allow community comments on all three designs. The winning architect will be required to consider community feedback in the final design.

The start of the design process puts The Star on track to open the new 220-room hotel in mid to late 2020, at least one year before the Mr Packer-backed Crown Resorts is expected to complete its casino project.

The news on the Sydney property comes as The Star also gets approval from the Gold Coast City Council to progress with its new hotel at Jupiters.

The council yesterday voted in favour of The Star’s application for the first tower in the Jupiters master plan, which is a 61-storey, 700-key hotel and apartment tower.

The council will now send a letter of endorsement to the Queensland Government, allowing The Star to progress state government approval, which is the last approval process for the tower.