Instead of lumping many projects in one thread ,its best to have a single thread for each tower especially if its going take many years to complete! And also Wooli Creek has many projects planned.
anyway, The first apartment tower to start conctruction in Wooli Creeks Discovery Point project is the 12 storey/40m Greenbank which has recently started construction!
according to Finn, %80 of the 135 units are sold!

pic>http://www.australand.com.au/images/wolliicreek_building21.jpg

website> www.discoverypoint.com.au

Discovery Point
http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2003/07/207136.jpg

Above render posted by CULWULA albeit smaller, plus:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/509/379greenbank_jpg.jpg

Digging has been progressing intensively on the Princes Highway side of the site with quite a big hole now appearing on he highway at the intersection at Bonnie Sparks Drive. They were hard at it this morning.

managed to get out there this week.
the hole is massive!!
http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2004/03/255824.jpg

http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2004/03/255820.jpg

Some shots of the excavation from last month which appear on the Discovery Point Website
www.discoverypoint.com.au

An aerial taken from Proximity

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may/may_4.jpg

From ground level

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may/may_3.jpg

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may/may_1.jpg

Has anyone got any information about the office buidings and the shopping centre of Discovery Point development, like floor space and rendering images?

Has anyone got any information about the office buidings and the shopping centre of Discovery Point development, like floor space and rendering images?

Go to the Discovery Point Website (www.discoverypoint.com.au) as mentioned above

Go to the Discovery Point Website (www.discoverypoint.com.au) as mentioned above

I did, but unlike RhodesWater development site, it doesn't say much about the retail development. No rendering images either. I wonder if it has a cinema complex.

Does anyone have any idea at what these apartments were going for when they were first up for sale, especially the 2 storey 3 bedders ??.

I visited the display today. I was really impressed with the attention to detail and the nice little touches. Alot nicer than I expected. The outside though doesnt quite float my boat, mind u, I am actually considering buying but wanna know how much the prices have changed since they first went on the market.

I visited the display today. I was really impressed with the attention to detail and the nice little touches. Alot nicer than I expected. The outside though doesnt quite float my boat, mind u, I am actually considering buying but wanna know how much the prices have changed since they first went on the market.

I was considering buying too but it seems too expensive for me...
$380k for one bedroom + car park. That's Chatswood price, man.

I have heard that meriton wants to build about 1500 units [in apartments] adjacent to wolli creek in arncliffe , it was in the leader last tuesday.

Here is a render of the next tower to be released - Verge

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/residential/verge/architecture/architecture_1.jpg

Here is a description as seen on the Discovery Point (discoverypoint.com.au) Website

Designed by leading architects, Cox Richardson,Verge is Part 2 of Discovery Point’s Dress Circle apartments, which follow a gentle arc embracing the extensive parklands.

A curved feature wall defines the lower level of the buildings and reflects the boundary of Tempe House’s formal gardens, creating an important and engaging transition of scale to the heritage villa beyond.

Named after John Verge, one of Australia's leading architects of the 1800s, Verge offers magnificent views of the parkland, waterfront, city and one of his own works, Tempe House

The architecture of Verge has a stature all of its own. A design both impressive and refined. A distinctive and immensely functional feature is its projecting balconies from both living and bedrooms. Sliding screens with louvres allow many residents control over privacy and the elements. Close them and create an outdoor room, or open them for a gentle breeze and full cross-flow ventilation.

And the view from an apartment

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/residential/verge/views/views_1.jpg

This development is one of the best Ive seen. The facilities that will be in place and the attention to detail to the apartments along with the great floor plans makes this what I would consider a "signature" development.

I visited this site last week because I was bored and curious, I came away totally blown away and am now very seriously considering purchasing an apartment.

Australand have really done a good job and the sales people surely know their stuff which makes all the difference. The location is pretty good too espcially with the railway station on site.

Is Discovery Point going to be our next Darling Harbour? It sort of looks like a tourist destination, with all the new apartment buildings, nice looking rivers and the new train station.

Is Discovery Point going to be our next Darling Harbour? It sort of looks like a tourist destination, with all the new apartment buildings, nice looking rivers and the new train station.

I don't think tourists enjoy watching apartment buildings...
It's more like St.Leonards I suppose.

Here's an update from their website

June 2004: Early Works
The bulk excavation of the Greenbank site was completed by Theos Bros in June. Some additional site works are currently being carried out to relocate stockpiled material from within the work zone that will be occupied by contractors involved in construction of the southern diaphragm wall. Casey & Lowe carried out an Archaeological investigation of areas under Sites 2 & 3 in late June. The purpose of the investigation was to locate and identify any remains of the extensive gardens that were originally attached to Tempe House during the period of Brodie Sparks' occupation.

Services Relocation
Tendered prices for both the Hydraulic & Electrical relocation works have been received and the successful contractors have submitted detailed Works Method Statements & programs that have been forwarded to State Rail for final Approval prior to the works commencing.

Check out the massive pit!!!!

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/june/june_1.jpg

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/june/june_2.jpg

Yeah its a pretty impressive sight. The views for the upper levels are going to be fantastic. Compared to all the Meriton apartments nearby this development is first class. They have really gone all out to impress and give this place a sense of style.

A part from the cafes and restaurants on the waterfront, they are also negotiating to get a cinema in the development. With the railway station right underneath and all the facilities right at your doorstep, this is one awesome project.

The National Trust aren't too impressed with excavation work and the impact it has had on the adjoining Tempe House. Graham Quint told "The Leader" that the settings for the house have been destroyed including the removal of 200 year old Eculapytus trees, the stables and excvations slicing into Mount Olympus. The pictures above can illustrate these points.

Here's an update for july provided by the Discovery Point Website

July 2004:

Tempe House & Chapel
Tanner & Associates have been asked to proceed with the preparation of drawings, specifications & a scope so that the restoration works associated with Tempe House and the Chapel can be tendered.

Landscaping
Australand have commenced discussions with a consulting firm with expertise in river bank landscape management in relation to works along the foreshore. This process will involve appointing a Landscape Architect to further develop designs, producing a Riparian (river bank) Management Plan, a Soil and Water Management Plan and a Vegetation Management Plan. Archaeological investigation for items of cultural significance will be conducted prior to any further works proceeding.

Early Construction Works
All works associated with Theos Bros bulk excavation contract have been finalized with additional works involving cleaning up, removing and relocated existing rubbish and stockpiled materials also complete.

Relocation of Bund Wall
A suitable design for a temporary bund wall to replace the existing earth bund has been decided upon and now requires the approval of State Rail and pricing from selected contractors.

Services Relocation
The relocation of electrical services to Wolli Station will now commence August 9th. The programmed duration for the works is one week and will be immediately followed by the relocation of hydraulic services.

Anyone for a swim?

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/july/july_1.jpg

Getting ready for major work to begin

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/july/july_2.jpg

I went up to Proximity today and took some photos from the 8th floor of the Discovery Point Site. If the views from Proximity are anything to go by, Green Bank with its northerly aspect and no buildings to block the view in the future, is going to be awesome.

The site is really coming along now, so the next few months are going to be really interesting. Here are the photos I took today http://homepage.mac.com/walexx/PhotoAlbum37.html

Sorry its a link, but atleast you get to see more this way :).

^^Thanks for the pics walexx! Fantastic views from up there! If that's the 8th floor then imagine how high it must feel on the 20th! :)

very cool pix

Fab views. Owners will be getting their money's worth. I've checked the Discovery Point website and there are no new photo's of work on the site. From Walexx photo's, It looks like they starting to place the footings for the tower.

Most of the photos were taken from the 8th floor except for the last five. I will be trying to get up there every couple of weeks if I can to take more updates.

We have signed on the dotted line a few weeks ago for an apartment in Green Bank, so I have a pretty keen interest in the project now. From what I saw yesterday, the views are going to be awesome, so Im really looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I took some more photos today http://homepage.mac.com/walexx/PhotoAlbum38.html .

Most of the ground floor has been concreted and they are now putting up the scaffolding for the first floor B2 which is basement level 2. Its finally starting to move. Should be interesting by Christmas.

Great stuff walexx. Thanks for sharing :okay:

Greenbank is now at ground level!!!! :)

Digging and preparation works continue along the rest of the site.

The crane went on up Monday and its all go on the site. The next pour is going to be a big one as its the ground floor. Should have atleast one floor up by Christmas. Looks like they have commenced digging out for Verge the next building, so things are really progressing.

Here is a pictorial of photos from October, to this month. Ive taken some, and others were taken from a guy on site http://homepage.mac.com/walexx/PhotoAlbum39.html enjoy.

19 stories eh

The site was abuzz on December 17. Several cranes have also appeared on site.

http://img159.exs.cx/img159/7754/wollicreekcranes8yx.jpg

Here is an update of photos taken a few days ago http://homepage.mac.com/walexx/PhotoAlbum40.html .

I have created a graph showing estimated floor heights. I dont know how accurate it actually is but its a guide. The photos were taken on site from level 6 and below so it gives you a good idea of the views residents can expect.

newest project to start out at Discovery point is VERGE!!

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/residential/verge/architecture/architecture_1.jpg

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/residential_verge_arch.htm

The next one after Verge will be the shopping centre, completion at the end of next year.

Discovery Point development is really cool, but the development speed is pretty slow... They should build everything at once! Can't wait!!

Yeah its all a bit slow. Green Bank should be completed by the end of November. I have been lucky enough to get some on site shots of it going up. Have a look

http://homepage.mac.com/walexx/PhotoAlbum41.html

http://homepage.mac.com/walexx/PhotoAlbum42.html

Verge has been on sale for a while and from what I hear is doing very well. The next building should be coming on sale by mid year.

The development is however going veeeery sloooow. Once it all kicks in though, its going to be an awesome place. I also hear that there is a possibility of twin towers will be going up on top of the shopping centre.

pic of Greenbank this morning
http://img215.echo.cx/img215/563/imgp42800td.jpg

^^Nice shot! Looks topped out now!

Hey Cul, not to be nit-pickity (but I guess I am being), but can you change the title of this thread to say the correct spelling of Wolli Creek instead of Wooli Creek? Thanks! :)

I've always wanted it to read Wally Creek myself.

Great shot CULWULLA. I had no idea it was in the surrounds of ESP (I have to get to that area more often).

I've always wanted it to read Wally Creek myself.

Great shot CULWULLA. I had no idea it was in the surrounds of ESP (I have to get to that area more often).

Lol at Wally Creek! ;)

Actually Muse, that isn't ESP, it is Proximity Apartments - but I they are both of a very similar style...I wonder what that architectural style is known as? I would call it something along the lines of Geometric Modernism or something - I'm sure it has an official style name though.

no worries, as for style of architecure, Bates Smart did Proximity. what about......... batessmartism??

Argghhh, I'm another who gets those 2 completely mixed up!! Even though they have a distance between them.

All of those cloned Allen Jack & Cottier apartment buildings from Newtown/St Peters down to Arncliffe are that geometric modern style. It's more the contrast of materials and sharp geometric/linear lines that make them stand out from their earlier counterparts.

Verge is now complete.looks ok

Verge is now complete.looks ok


You mean "Greenbank"?

Verge is the next one...

yes greenbank sorry.

This thread seems to have skipped 6 months. I mean no real news or pictures since the beginning of the year. Is there anyone in the local area who can keep this thread updated with construction pictures please?

This thread seems to have skipped 6 months. I mean no real news or pictures since the beginning of the year. Is there anyone in the local area who can keep this thread updated with construction pictures please?

I travel by train daily past the suburb. I can get one this week for you :) Sometimes I take photos and never get around to posting them.

This thread seems to have skipped 6 months. I mean no real news or pictures since the beginning of the year. Is there anyone in the local area who can keep this thread updated with construction pictures please?


Yes, I live in Wolli Creek. I'll take a couple of pics and post them in the weekend.

Cheers guys.

Okay, I took a couple of pics around Wolli Creek today. Enjoy!!

Greenbank taken from the 16th floor of Proximity.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/231/pic0016kt.jpg

Greenbank, western side. Interesting texture.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2959/pic0028qp.jpg

Greenbank, eastern side.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/5717/pic0038ux.jpg

Greenbank, back side. It looks completely different.
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8686/pic0040zo.jpg

Wolli Creek station and the excavation site for Verge & other development. What a huge hole!!
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1633/pic0057wc.jpg

Proximity seen from Princess Highway.
http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/517/pic0068sb.jpg

Convenience store and Bakery at the groud level of Proximity. But most of the shops are still empty.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3396/pic0077ei.jpg

Vista along Arncliffe St.
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8439/pic0080th.jpg

Looking west from Proximity. 9-story Zone (white one) is complete.
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/6189/pic0090zz.jpg

Zone actually looks very nice in person. Nice wine-red colour.
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5043/pic0105dv.jpg

Vista along Bonar St. Amazing density!!
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/5247/pic0113vb.jpg

Fantastic pics James! Thanks heaps! :D

It's looking pretty sweet for Wolli Creek isnt it. Greenbank looks really good, very impressed with this tower.

Hello, I'm new to this forum.

Just wondering if there's any new exciting news about Wolli Creek and how's it doing in the overall property market.
The second Discovery Point building "Verge" is coming up fast...
And there seems to be some progress made by Rockdale City Council in regards to new infrastructure and new roads.

Just wanted to see if there are any of you out there waiting eagerly for the next big thing in this area, like the promised Shopping centre and Waterfront precinct....

I live in Wolli Creek too

the website updates monthly
May 2006:

Construction of Discovery Points second residential building, Verge, is progressing on schedule for completion in December 2006. The level 9 concrete structure was poured on 18th May. Level 10,11 and the roof are expected to be complete by the end of June 2006. Internal apartment walls, external facade brickwork, and the rough in of services is being carried out on the first residential level 3.

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/april_06/april_02.jpg

Two major milestones have been achieved at Discovery Point.



Completion of heritage buildings - Tempe House & St Magdalen's Chapel.

These magnificent buildings that date back to 1836 have been beautifully and thoughtfully restored to their original state by heritage architects Tanner Associates and Australand.
http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may_06/may_1.jpg

Opening of Mount Olympus and the lsu green foreshore parkland

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may_06/may_2.jpg

The first settlers of Discovery Point, those who have recently moved into our completed first stage, Greenbank, now have access to the beautiful parkland and leisure areas on the Discovery Point recently completed foreshore.

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may_06/may_3.jpg

http://www.discoverypoint.com.au/images/construction/may_06/may_8.jpg

Hi Jornada, we must be neighbours. :)

It's going pretty slow isn't it? Verge is the only one under construction at moment. Shopping centre is supposed to be the next one after the Verge, but if that's true, they must have started the excavation for it by now...

Forget about waterfront precinct, it's not gonna happen for another 10 years! :(

Hi James, Yes we must be neighbours, fellow Wolli Creek residents!

Well I'm not sure if the Waterfront precinct is gonna be in 10 years, but certainly it'll be more than 5 by the looks of things.... I reckon the Shopping Centre is the main point that will boost this area. Hopefully it'll materialize soon.

Seems like all developers have taken a break from building and waiting for the market to pick up again. It's bit of a shame though. To be honest, I haven't seen a more well connected and strategic area than Wolli Creek. People rave on about Rhodes Waterside, Meadowbank, St Leonards etc.... But the potential of Wolli Creek surpasses them all.

Is it just the lack of marketing and council involvement that has lead to this slow-ness in development?
Really hoping it's not going to turn into another Green Square.

To be honest, I haven't seen a more well connected and strategic area than Wolli Creek. People rave on about Rhodes Waterside, Meadowbank, St Leonards etc.... But the potential of Wolli Creek surpasses them all.

Exactly! That's why I chose this place to live. 12 min to CBD by train and there are 2 lines to choose from, so you get 12 trains per hour to the city!
I feel like I'm in London. :)


Is it just the lack of marketing and council involvement that has lead to this slow-ness in development?

It seems Rockdale council is keen on this project but Australand is taking a break and waiting for the market to catch up. Probably the sales of Verge weren't good.

They should have built the shopping centre first like Rhodes, then it would be much easier to sell the apartment. The pace of construction in Rhodes is unbelievably fast, I'm so jealous. :(


Hope to see this one day...

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/329/wollicreekdiscoverypointnm0.jpg

^^ Certainly coming along. Especially like the preservation of the historic buildings. Top project! :okay:

DA of Cooks Cove development has been submitted to the Rockdale council. It includes relocation of Kogarah Golf Course, construction of a Trade & Technology park, associated landscape and environmental works. The master plan is on exhibition at the council until 21 August.

Most of the buildings will be 4 to 6 storeys, except one landmark tower which will be 11 storeys. It is a low-rise campus style development but there will be no surface car parks unlike other business parks. They want to discourage people to commute by car, which is a smart move! It is about 10 min walk from Wolli Creek station.

Wolli Creek is going to BOOM!!

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3810/cookscovegm6.jpg

OH yeah! :) What a great development up coming!

I would love to see Wolli Creek become one of the centres of commercial, industrial and residential development in Sydney.
Come to think of it, the Wolli Creek area is the only place in Sydney accessible by all 4 forms of transport: Road, Rail, Air, Sea (river). Talk about a well connected area...

Hey did you notice the Australand building "Verge" has come up pretty quickly?
Let's hope the next Discovery Point stages progress soon.
I'll take some photos over the weekend if the weather is good. Will post them here.

Wow, I havent checked out this thread all year cause i thought people were not interested and now I see I have 2 neighbours here. Hiya jornado and James.

I moved into Green Bank back in Feb and love this place. Right now im in my bedroom looking out over mount olympus and directly to the city. They really did a good job with this place. The views from here are sensational especially sunsets with the sun shining on the city sklyline

I was told not so long ago that digging for stage 4 will commence soon. Stage 4 is the next building which is supposed to be 13 floors instead of the current 11 in Green Bank and Verge. Its going to mainly be one bedders, as Australand discovered that when Green Bank and Verge went on the market, the one bedders were the first to go, so they figure they are on a good thing with that. I have seen the plans for it and it looks quite nice but small as its going to squeeze in between Verge and the railway line. There will not be any buildings over the railway line as first proposed (as per above diagram), but then, I also recently heard otherwise so who knows ?, but the plans I saw was definately just a very slim building between verge and the railway.

Stage 3 is the shopping centre which we are all desperately waiting and hoping for. The problem with the shopping ctr is that they are now planning to build twin towers on top of it but because of the downturn in the market, they are not so keen to start it. They want to do the whole lot at once. Australand dont want to build the shopping ctr which is supposed to be the next stage, only to then come back in a few years to build the towers on top. It makes more sense to do the lot in the one hit, but the market is flat, and so there lies the dilemma.

The same goes for leasing the suites down stairs in Green Bank. Because nothing has been decided on the shopping ctr, they dont want to lease out the suites below as they are very undecided how to progess with it all.

As for the waterfront area, your guess is as good as mine as to when that will come eventuate, but I think 5 years or so is a good guide.

For anyone interested, I made this historical of the park showing before and after http://web.mac.com/walexx/iWeb/Site/Discovery%20Point%20Park.html

Verge is currently on target for a years end completion. I think they want people in by Christmas, but who knows. Green Bank was late and the builders were being charged 10 grand a day or something like that. They dont want to be making the same mistake with Verge.

This whole development and the advent of Cooks Cove is going to really put this area on the map. In a few years Wolli Creek is going to be one very awesome place and I for one absolutely love living here, im very into it and its great to see some other passionate Wolli Creek residents here too.

Im always out on the hunt for info so ill be glad to post anything more I find out.

Hi Walexx,
I live in Greenbank too!! It's nice to know there is another Greenbanker in this forum. :)

Although my apartment doesn't have a cool view like yours, I'm very happy with the quality of the building. BTW Do you know who broke the car park shutter?

I was told not so long ago that digging for stage 4 will commence soon. Stage 4 is the next building which is supposed to be 13 floors instead of the current 11 in Green Bank and Verge.

If they want to build the stage 4 first, that means they won't start building the shopping centre until 2008... then the completion will be 2009 or later. OMG I don't know if I can wait that long!! :(

With the downturn in the market expected, I think now is the perfect time to start stage 3 as it would give some energy into this place. Its an awesome development, but right now the place is like a ghost town.

Building the shopping ctr would be in Australands interest as it would be a great selling tool to perspective buyers. It would be a great addition to the transport links, the fantastic gardens, and great quality feel of the place.

I guess time will tell, but keeping it hanging like this is not going to do well in helping new purchasers make their minds up. We bought here because of what the future holds as well as the good quality of the place, but now the market is a lot more competitive, Australand needs to realise that and get their finger out.

From what I hear Ikea too will be up the road in Tempe/Sydenham. Its been on the drawing board for a while and replace Moore Park. The site is up hear the Smith Family depot, so again, more facilities in the area.

hello Walexx! Glad to see another Wolli Creek neighbour and fellow enthusiast!
I actually live in the Meriton development on Bonar Street. That's a fabulous development as well, great peaceful parkland setting and top quality units...

Yeah it is a bit frustrating with all this "waiting in anticipation" for things to come... I wonder if Australand does visit this forum, as we would sure like them to hear some of our voices of opinion!
I agree with you, this is the perfect time to start marketing the Shopping Centre which really is the focal point of Wolli Creek (besides the railway station). Without the planned shopping facilities, buyers will definitely shy away from investing the big dollars in this area. I think the convenience of an area is not only the transportation, but also the readily available amenities (e.g. shopping, healthcare, communal facilities).

I was told late last year by an Australand sales person that their intention is to get the Shopping Centre built as soon as possible. The residential towers above will come later. Let's hope that's true!

One area that is becoming a bit of a worry is the piece of land behind the Proximity building. Originally it was planned as a commercial office/mixed used building. But I really don't see Multiplex coming back in and finishing off the project.

Well let's keep fingers crossed. Hopefully a building boom is along the way soon.

Hiya jornada, thanks for the welcome. Its nice to see so many enthusiasts in one area. I wonder if there are anymore of us :). As James used to live in Proxy before Greenbank, we kinda have all developments represented lol.

In answer to your question, I have actually forwarded the link of this thread to someone in charge of Customer Relations at Australand as well as the Green Bank strata agents who are quite active and very approachable. So yeah, lets hope someone somewhere are taking notes.

Yeah Im really hoping that the shopping ctr is next because as you stated it would be a real focal point of the area and help boost interest and sales of Discovery Point as well as boost the sales and after sales of the Meriton development you live in and Proximity across the road. The whole area will benefit, not just from the desirability and therefore boost in property values, but also from the obvious convenience of having everything right here without having to go to Marrickville or Rockdale to do our shopping. We desperately need a chemist, news agents, post office (i did hear that a combined newsagency/post office was going in at the bottom of proxy, but that doesnt seem to have happened now), and hot food outlets here.

As for behind Proximity, according to the latest street directory online (whereis.com.au) it shows 'mount olympus road' as a road behind Proximity linking it to Magdeline rd and Guess ave, so not sure what the story there is.

I read somewhere recently that the industrial area at the corner of Arncliffe rd and Guess Ave will eventually become a community park. This is all part of the Council master plan for more green space in the area. I hope its true as it would be a nice addition to the area.

There is another supermarket opening up at the bottom of Proximity called 'orange supermarket'. Ive never heard of them so it will be interesting what it will be like. I think we need some hot food outlets opening up though as I mentioned before like maybe a pizza shop, hot chicken shop etc. The place is missing some serious vibe and activity. Once Verge comes online in a few months that will mean even more apartments and still no real facilities/amenities a part from what currently exists.

Anyway, lets hope the Ikea up the road goes in as planned as that will bring additional infastructure with it. Ikea are never alone, they always have other shops with them, so that again will bring more facilities and development into the area.

Walexx: you mention an Ikea "up the road" - can you be more specific as my local at SupaCenta at Moore Park/Kensington has closed alleging the space is too small. As I need a lot of motivation to troll out to Rhodes, one a spot closer would be handy to know about, that is, assuming it eventuates, as Ikea is handy for some things.

I read somewhere recently that the industrial area at the corner of Arncliffe rd and Guess Ave will eventually become a community park. This is all part of the Council master plan for more green space in the area. I hope its true as it would be a nice addition to the area.


Yes, the park is a part of the master plan.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6471/wollicreekparkqg5.jpg

The master plan of Wolli Creek is available at Rockdale councils website.
The link to the PDF file:
http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/pdf/DCP62_Wolli_Creek.pdf


As you can see in the plan, Discovery Point is actually just the tip of the iceberg...
Wolli Creek is a sleeping giant!!

http://img419.imageshack.us/img419/6049/wollicreekmasterplanah1.jpg

Walexx: you mention an Ikea "up the road" - can you be more specific as my local at SupaCenta at Moore Park/Kensington has closed alleging the space is too small. As I need a lot of motivation to troll out to Rhodes, one a spot closer would be handy to know about, that is, assuming it eventuates, as Ikea is handy for some things.

I think I once saw mention on these forums of them moving to Tempe (perhaps the Tempe Tip, if such a place exists).

Tempe Tip does exist and was once quite famous or infamous, but I can't remember why. Was it the site of a notorious murder perhaps and/or a scavenger's heaven?

The IKEA is going to be around where the salvation army store is. Its sorta on the border of tempe/sydenham. There is a service station just across the road from it and the railway bridge that the highway goes over.

There was some sort of issue with runway landing lights last I heard. That was some time ago so Im not sure whats happening now.

A girl I work with's cousin designed it but she hasnt been able to get anymore info than I already have.

Thanks for the park photos James, looks very exciting.

Hi there everyone! Haven't seen any posts on this thread for a while!

Has anyone noticed lately that excavation work is being done very close to Wolli Creek station? So it does appear that the 3rd residential building is probably going to come first before the Shopping Centre. Although they might build them both together, since the last I heard they wanted to get the shopping centre in place as soon as possible but will delay on the residential towers above it.

Work should be starting soon on a new road which links Guess Avenue to Magdalene Tce, that's the proposed road named Mt Olympus Boulevarde... It'll certainly make life much easier for us Meriton dwellers!

One more very welcomed addition to Wolli Creek is a very decent supermarket and also a medical practice... So I guess it's coming along although very slowly.....

Work should be starting soon on a new road which links Guess Avenue to Magdalene Tce, that's the proposed road named Mt Olympus Boulevarde... It'll certainly make life much easier for us Meriton
dwellers!

Really? That's a great news! Where did you hear it from?


One more very welcomed addition to Wolli Creek is a very decent supermarket and also a medical practice... So I guess it's coming along although very slowly.....

Yes, I love the new grocer! The price is very good and it has so much products in such a small space. DVD rental shop will be opening soon next to the hair dresser as well.

Really? That's a great news! Where did you hear it from?

Have a look at this section on the Rockdale City Council website. Tells what the council is up to and all the projects they are doing or planning.

http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/rbp/cbp.nsf

The part about the new link road Mt Olympus Boulevarde was documented in the May 17th paper.

I took a walk today along Princes Highway. The 2nd building (Verge) looks really good from the street. Very impressed!

Verge looks awesome, Im kinda jealous actually (being a Green Bank resident) as its really coming along nicely.

Yesterday and today big concrete beams were delivered to the site where they are working on the railway cutting. Here are some photos taken yesterday and last week http://web.mac.com/walexx/iWeb/Verge/Verge_Railway.html . Im guessing they will go over the railway line to form the extension of Brodie Spark Drive. They have been drilling very deep holes to pour concrete into, and then topped it off with retaining walls right next to the walls at the railway cutting. Id say the beams will be put up soon as they are really going gang busters down there.

Just a bit of news Ive heard around the place is that stage 4 which is the next residential building will be going up next. God knows why as there are soo many apartments still left in Green Bank and got knows how many will come back when Verge finally starts to settle in 2 months.

The shopping centre which is stage 3 is currently being delayed because someone wants to buy both residential towers that is being built above it.

Also a 5 star hotel is on the table for the waterfront, so yeah lots happening, but its all gonna take time.

Good to hear Mt Olympus boulevard will start soon as that will be really good for the guys in the Meriton buildings. Its great to see lots of actity going on around the place.

Thanks for the scoop Wally. Great pics of Verge too. I love the pastels set agains the brick.

Hey Walexx, great website you got there and love the pictures!

Just wondering, does anyone know what's all the construction activity happening over the railway station? I noticed that they have built a whole new concrete platform/bridge over the station... Is this the foundation structure where the new building(s) will be coming on top?

I was having a discussion with some friends on what businesses would succeed in Wolli Creek right at this point in time..... Anybody got any great ideas?

I reckon, if somebody opened a nice Thai takeaway restaurant that opened till say 10pm everyday, it'll do extremely well in the area and it'd possibly attract customers from neighbouring suburbs (Arncliffe, Tempe, Bexley etc)

There will be a road/square over the railway track.
See the red circle in the masterplan below.
The new apartment next to Verge will be fit between Verge and the railway track.

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/9126/masterplanqx0.jpg


I'd love to see Thai takeaway restaurant in Wolli Creek. Actually any hot food shops would be nice, pizzas, burgers, fish & chips, kebabs... We don't have anything at moment!!

BTW Beauty & Nails salon has been closed... They only lasted a year? Although the shop was useless to me, it's kinda sad to see that Beauty & Nails bussiness don't succeed in this area. :(

Thanks James.

hmm, about the Nails and Beauty shop, I didn't think it was a very smart business decision to open it at the start... The fact that this area is so new and in need of much more of the basic amenities (food outlets, grocery stores, newsagent etc). And the majority of residents are either young professionals or students. You won't get much patronage during weekdays. Plus it had competition from day one, as the Hairdresser shop down the road does Nails as well.... Not to mention the well established ones in neighbouring suburbs.

Good news is, the Hairdresser is doing really well, I couldn't even get a booking in for the day....

Verge is just about complete. It must be the most unique looking residential building around! Would love to see what the quality of the interiors look like..

Some stores may be a tax write-off or a laundry ;) , therefore not interested in paying for overheads nor too worried about demographics or local populations for new business; win-win! Then again, they sometimes just may not have done their homework.

BTW once again thanks for the news.

...

I heard that the owner of the shop (the previous real estate agencey 'ray white' i think) where the nail place was, is the uncle of the girl who set it up, so yeah, thats why it was there. I guess he said, hey I got a shop, take it over and give it a go. It was obvious from the start it was not gonna go anywhere.

Verge is looking awesome. Its a very distinctive building, unfortunately, the floor plans of the lower floors are less inspiring. I have the floor plans for the entire building and although nice, its not as good as Green Bank, but then again, I am being biased :). it has a look all of its own and really stands out. I love the building myself and cant wait for it to be completed and all lit up. I might be fortunate enough to go up there and take a looksie before its completed, so fingers crossed, if so, Ill get some photos.

I agree though, the place is really in need of some more shops, especially hot food. A good thai restaurant and pizza shop would do well as it would be the right market for it here. A hot chicken shop, news agency and post office and god forbid an ATM would be soo good too.

Once verge is complete next month, I think the place will come to a bit more life and hopefully next year some real progress with the shopping ctr and the rest of the development fires up.

Now that the roadway had started over the railway bridge, it really opens the door for excellerated progress on the northern side of the site and for the development of the railway station.

Very exciting times ahead...... If only we had some more goss as to specifics.

Let me add a Chemist to the "wish list" of shops to be opened in the area! :)
That would complement the Medical practice so well......

To me, the trick is a really good restaurant/food outlet to open in this area, and then people from other suburbs will start trickling in.... hmmm, something like a Gourment Pizza Kitchen would be good for that massive shop space at the corner position in Proximity (right opposite the roundabout).

Yes I must agree that they keep the upcoming developments under the wraps very well.... I knew a friend who worked for Cox Richardson (architects for Discovery Point), and he actually worked on the Shopping Centre and Residential Towers above.... Funny thing is, his job was to design the toilets within the Residential towers!

So it should be unveiled anytime soon....

ooooh, you got some inside info on the shopping ctr ??, Damn, I really cant wait to find out what the deal with that is as well as the towers above.

Verge right now looks stunning, but the only draw back is once those two towers go up behind it, its really gonna suck for the people living there as they will be looking directly into other peoples apartments. The roadway below isnt too wide even with eveything taken into account ie: the actual position of the buildings, the distance between buildings will not be big, so its going to be a problem for privacy.

Anyway, Yes I agree with you Jornada, we need a pharmacy too. I think alot of reasons why nothing is in is because of the shopping ctr. Remember, there will be a two level retail development on top of the railway station too, so plenty of room for lots of things to go in. In a few years from now, we will be spoilt for choice, but until then, we have to be happy with what we have.

Here are some photos I took of Verge, the building works over the railway line, and of Green Bank this morning http://web.mac.com/walexx/iWeb/Discovery_Point/Verge.html

Recent shots (taken from a train). All scaffholding is now gone

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4333/pb030221ta0.jpg

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/593/pb030222ic0.jpg

Great Photos Fabian. I gotta try and get up on the platform to take some photos. Verge is one awesome looking building, one of the best ive seen.

Here are some awesome photos sent to me today taken above the site recently.

http://web.mac.com/walexx/iWeb/Site%2018/Above_Discovery_Point.html (I tried to post them directly on the page but didnt work so sorry for the link)

Tempe House and the Chapel have gone up for Sale or Lease which was a bit of a suprise to everyone as no one knew anything about it. A Restaurant in Tempe House and a Bar in the Chapel would be a great addition.

Great pictures Walexx!

I wonder when will they start marketing the next residential building next to Verge. The site seems to be all set for another excavation.

Yes a lot seems to be under the wraps yet to be unveiled.
My friend who works at Cox Richardson Architects (Discovery Point designers) has only limited info on when things will actually be released. The only information I know is that the designs for the shopping centre and residential towers above should be completed by now and the client is simply waiting for the best time to market them.

By the way, are any of you going to the morning tea organized by Frank Sartor? Maybe it's our chance to express some concerns. For example, I think the council should be investing more money in Wolli Creek's infrastructure and roads, instead of relying solely on developer contributions which are so market dependant.

heres a pic i posted in the "sydney airport" thread you might find of interest.
shows Discovery points location

http://static.flickr.com/88/282210017_b23e94f0ec_o.jpg

My friend who works at Cox Richardson Architects (Discovery Point designers) has only limited info on when things will actually be released. The only information I know is that the designs for the shopping centre and residential towers above should be completed by now and the client is simply waiting for the best time to market them.

Thanks for the info Jornada!
I can't wait to see the renders of the shopping centre and resi towers...
I hope they look nice and glassy.

WOW, awesome photo CULWULLA.

Yeah some renders and any info on the shopping ctr would be awesome.

Uhmm, what morning tea are you talking about Jornada ??.

Hey Walexx, I got an invitation in the mail from Frank Sartor (NSW planning minister and representative for Rockdale), he's inviting residents in this area for a morning tea to express our concerns.

I'm surprised you didn't get it. I was thinking it's a good opportunity to get some of our concerns across.

Culwulla, thanks for the great picture!!

What Wolli Creek needs is a road that connects up over the river/creek to Bayview Avenue Undercliffe, Perhaps along the side of the Velodrome.

I find that Wolli Creek is somewhat disconnected from it's surrounding suburbs. You can only really get into from The Princes Highway or the back route from Turella/Arncliffe via Bonar avenue.

When and where is the morning tea ??. Is it by invitation only or can anyone just rock up ??. Id love to hear what the vision is for the area and what the time table might be.

A road linking to Bayview Ave would be great, but then again, it would bring alot more traffic into the area. I think they want to increase activity but not traffic as per the master plan. It would be great though, but I cant see it ever happening.

Hello again to everyone...

Just wanted to express my excitement about reading an article from Rockdale City Council's website. In the business paper section, there's quite a few Wolli Creek related information lately.

Basically, the best bit is that the new road linking Guess Avenue to Magdalene Tce, named "Mount Olympus Boulevarde", will be starting construction in January 07, with the construction works to include re-construction of the end of Magdalene Tce for essential infrastructure and storm water drainage.

That's really great news as it will really open up Wolli Creek and further integrate the different precincts together. It will also encourage development on the Bonar Street, Guess Avenue side, as residents will then have direct access to the railway station without making a clumsy detour around Proximity. If you looked on the business papers, there's already a first stage Development Application submitted for a new residential development on the land bounded by Guess Avenue, Bonar Street, Lusty Street, and the Illawarra Rail line. It is to be another major apartment development consisting of three blocks if I'm not wrong.

Anyway, just wanted to share some good news.

Thats great news. It will really help the guys in the Meriton buildings get to the station alot quicker and easier. It must be a pain to walk all the way around Proxy.

I love seeing all the activity around the place, so its good to see things progressing along.

I tried to look up the site but couldnt find the information. Any other interesting, or not so interesting things ??.

Another interesting news: anyone noticed the big advertisement board next to Wolli Creek station? It appears that Australand is selling the land above the station.

Not sure if that was the original intention, but it certainly makes things more interesting, as depending on which developer buys the site, it could mean a more diverse approach to the design AND it could also further drive development in the area, injecting some new adrenalin into this already thriving area....

I don't think it was the original intention, but it's a good news in a way, it will drive further development in the area. It seems too much for Australand alone to take care of all Discovery Point development...

Wow, thats fantastic news. More development and another player means the pace will hopefully pick up. With the roadway over the railway line under construction and surely to be completed in the next few months, we will really see the pace pick up.

Verge today is looking amazing with big acer trees being planted. The maple leaf style really adds a touch of class and elegance to the whole place. It softens all that concrete and adds the tone for the rest of the development as it starts to now get into the core and away from the edges.

This place next year is going to be a very interesting one to watch. Mount Olympus boulevarde wiil make a huge difference to the area and will change the traffic flow.

Now we need a nice big mature tree planted in the round about at the intersection of Brodie Spark Drive, Lusty Rd, and Arncliffe Rd, that would go a long way to softening the pace too.

So what happened, with the morning tea ??. Any news, goss ??.... Has it actually already happened ?.

Well lets hope that Meriton doesn't buy the land.

Ive just been downstairs looking at Verge in all its glory without all the barricades up. Apparentely, the Discovery Point display will be moved to the bottom corner of Verge between facing the road and Green Bank.

The site office will be moved to the other side of Verge on the ground floor. This work has started now that most of the construction workers are off site and is planned to be complete by the end of Feb.

Then the DP display will obviously be pulled down. I saw them actually doing some digging today on the edges before the ground drops where its been excavated for Verge, so maybe they are commencing preliminary work ??.

From the sounds of it, they are obviously planning to start digging for the public car park and shopping centre which is also why they are looking for buyers for above the railway station.

With work also commencing on Mt Olympus Blvd everything all ties together as the ground level is obviously elevated (you can tell this by the elevation of Verge), so yeah, everything has to go hand in hand as a whole.

They are digging frantically around where the railway station cutting was covered over and are drilling deep footings for what will be the continuation of Brodie Spark Drive, and the commencement of the roadway between the shopping ctr and the railway station.

Now you can access the Verge roadway, its going to be a great viewing platform to see it all come together.

Could do with pub or bar in the area. Maybe one which has a balcony or beer garden overlooking the river.

Hey Walexx, about the morning tea organized by Rockdale City Council, I did not attend even though I got the invite. But from the looks of things, it certainly is looking positive. In one of council's December newsletter, it also mentioned about development in Wolli Creek anticipated to take off much more from next year. Some of the delays were mainly due to the development and planning controls for the area only gaining full approval in August this year.

As far as who's gonna buy the land over the station, yes I do hope it's not Meriton! It could be Mervac by the way.... they've been buying up quite a lot of land and projects lately (including the entire Rhodes Waterside development).

I know from a Meriton representative that Multiplex had recently approached them to sell off the vacant land behind the Proximity apartments. That land is also masterplanned to be for commercial development. Not sure what might happen eventually.

Thanks for the update Walexx, regarding the area surrounding Verge. Sounds very exciting!

No offence to our Meriton residents, but yeah, Im hoping its not them either, but as its only supposed to be 2 levels of retail above the station, it shouldnt be something we need to worry about.

I really cant wait to see the pace pick up next year. The extension of Brodie Spark Drive to the railway covering should be complete by March Id say, and yeah, its all go go go. Im really happy about Mt Olympus Blvd too as it will be so much better for the guys in the Meritons and other residents down that way.

I heard Australand might be taking out all of the trees outside of Green Bank and replacing them with the nice plain/acer/maple whatever the are trees that have just been put up outside of Verge to keep it all looking nice and uniform. I bloody well hope so. As beautiful as the magnolias are out the front, its going to take forever before they look anything as great as what it took 1 day for Verge and its new trees.

2007 is gonna be Wolli Creek development heaven :)

Woohooooo, FINALLY the Cafe at the bottom of Green Bank has been approved by council on 19December. This will atleast add some more facilities and get some more activity going on in the place.

Next year is going to be a great year to watch the whole area slowly move closer to the vision. With lots of things happening on lots of different fronts it will be fun to see everything come together.

I had a chance to take pics from the 12th floor of Proximity apartment.

Verge
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2042/vergeja2.jpg

Wolli Creek station
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8794/stationhb6.jpg

City skyline
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/7803/cityskylinedz0.jpg

Bondi Junction & Zetland clusters
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/820/bondijunctionqi1.jpg

Meriton & Zone
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/600/meritonfp3.jpg

New DA for 9 storey apartment!! 91 dwellings and 4 commecial units.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/8356/wollicreekda01ph0.gif


You must be wondering where the hell it's located.
It is right next to the Mercure Hotel as shown in the map below.
9 storey is really big for a spot like this so far from the station.
It indicates how dense Rockdale council wants Wolli Creek to be!!

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/1838/wollicreekdamapxt3.gif

Right next to the golf course. Great position!

To James Saito, does it get noisy since it's close to the airport?

I really like the quality of apartments being built. Architectural flair that is happening. I like the ones near UNSW at Anzac Parade. Just North of Randwick Racecourse.

That area has actually been zoned for medium to high density development and it's only a 10 minute walk to the station, and buses also run along Marsh St (Route 400).

I have photos of a model that I saw at the Rockdale Council Offices which I'll have to post that show the proposed heights for buildings in the area.

And also Millux, there is no noise from planes as it's not under a flightpath. Planes in the area tend to fly over Rockdale and Banksia.

Remember too that the Golf Club is also the site of Cooks Cove. They will be right in the heart of it.

To James Saito, does it get noisy since it's close to the airport?

Not at all, I can see the airplanes comming and going but I don't hear any noise.


That area has actually been zoned for medium to high density development and it's only a 10 minute walk to the station, and buses also run along Marsh St (Route 400).

The maximum building height proposed by the council on that site was 6 storey as shown below, so I was surprised to see the 9 storey DA submitted. It would be great if it gets approved.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2434/wollicreekheighthc4.gif

Wow, thats a pretty big development in what I would consider a really odd spot (only because there is no other development there at the moment). The views will be amazing and it will really start that whole area up especially with all the development earmarked for Gertrude Street.

This will directly across the road from 'Cooks Cove', if Im not mistaken ??, so yeah, its going to be interesting to see the place evolve over the coming years. The existing houses around there are really goiing to be dwarfed by all the new development. I wonder how that will effect current residents.

For this development Im assuming all the homes on that block from the Mecure on Levy St and Innesdale Rd will all need to be aquired from the developers ??. There are quite a few homes there.

It looks like the construction of Mt Olympus Boulevard is well underway, as the bulldozers have already moved in and the council crews have begun working in earnest.

Does anyone have more info on this cafe at Greenbank?

Hmmmm, after having another look at the council DA on the net for the Greenbank Cafe, the DA - 70/2007 now states 'Description: Suite 6 - Construction of new toilet facilities on ground floor', and not mention of the Cafe. The total cost is estimated at $150.000. So yeah, I dunno what happened to the cafe. It was part of the original DA, but not mentioned on the approved (19Dec) DA ??.

I do know that the Discovery Point Display will be moving into the bottom of Verge on the corner facing Greenbank and the Roundabout, so it will get reallly good exposure there, and some of the offices will be moving to the bottom of Verge also on the other end of the ground floor and first floor retail spaces. This is to happen by Feb, so looks like in conjunction with work on Mt Olympus BLV, the display will be knocked down and work will also commence on stage 3 which is the shopping centre.

From what I can see, the road will probably be elevated to the same level as the rest of the area, so when Mt Olympus Blvd is built, it will all be the same height and we wont get the dip in the road, but this is just a guess.

First residents have started moving into Verge this week, so over the coming weeks there will be alot more life in this place.

This is a fantastic thread! I wish I'd found it months ago!

I'm very excited about the work currently being completed on the road from Guess Av to Magdalene Tce... being one of those Meriton residents. Hopefully won't take too long to complete.

It also looks like they are doing a bit of work parallel to the new road on the other side of the tracks. I know there was talk of a pedestrian track there at one stage. Anyone know if that's the case?

Wow, I didnt know work was being done on the other side of the railway line. Ill have to go take a looksie. I know the buildings on the corner there on Guess st are going to be demolished and some more towers going up.

Its all very exciting yes, I cant wait to see the work going on. I just wish we could zoom a year into it so we can see how it all turns out.

Im just busting for more info on everything thats going on around here.

Might just be wishful thinking on my behalf. Looking up that side of the tracks from Guess St there seems to be something going on up towards Lusty St by the tracks. May actually have to walk around there and see tomorrow arvo!

Hello there!

Meanies, I'm not sure which part are you referring to.

I know that there has been an approved DA for preliminary works on a new development on the land bounded by Bonar St, Lusty St, and Guess Ave (opposite to the Meriton Developments). So what you see could be the preliminary works starting, which is to demolish the existing industrial buildings.

Walexx, just wondering, I read from previous posts that you were able to search out development applications (e.g. Greenbank Cafe), can you tell me which website do you go to for that information? I'd like to have a look too!

Thanks!

Hey Jornada, here is the Rockdale Council DA search site http://rccweb.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/datracking/modules/applicationmaster/default.aspx?page=searchDA Just put in the suburb or street or whatever and it will search. I go there every few days to see if anything new is happening.

By the way, looks like the video shop at the bottom of Proximity is almost done. For anyone who finds it frustrating to mail letters around here, I hear a mailbox will be erected outside of Proximity in the coming weeks.

Just went to have a look. I think I'm just overexcited. There are a few piles of dirt there, but no indication where they came from. Maybe the pedestrian pathway will eventuate after the development being built on the Guess Av\Lusty St\Bonar St site is completed. Personally, I'll just be happy for the road to be completed!

Thanks for that link walexx. Tried trawling through the Rockdale website a number of times to find something like that.

The video shop will be good. Just need some take away to go with it!

Yeah I think we are all wanting some take away around here. Nice Thai, Italian, Indian would be awesome.

There are all these empty shops at the bottom of Promimity and Green Bank. Its such a waste of space. I guess give it time.

Hello everyone,

Here's a great piece of publicity for Discovery Point:

http://www.urbantaskforce.com.au/award_current.php

Looking pretty good for Wolli Creek!

taken from Morris Iemma site

Basement Recycling Plant


The basement of a residential apartment block in Sydney will be turned into a recycled water plant – just the second of its type in the world - thanks to $2.27 million from the NSW Government, Premier Morris Iemma announced.

In an Australian first, the basement plant would pump treated waste water to residents for non-drinking use as well as irrigating nearby parks and playing fields.

The project will save 98 million litres of water a year. 75 projects have now shared in more than $43 million delivered from the NSW Government’s $135 million Water Savings Fund.

“This innovative new plant is yet another recycling initiative that is happening right now with full backing and funding from the NSW Government,” Mr Iemma said.

“It involves the construction of a membrane bio-reactor recycling plant in the basement of one of the apartment blocks at the new Discovery Point development at Wolli Creek.

Mr Iemma said that when complete next year, the Discovery Point recycling plant will:

§ Recycle sewage from the high rise apartment blocks at the site for residents to use for flushing toilets, laundry, car washing and for the cooling towers on site; and

§ In a creative partnership with Marrickville Council, the recycled water will also be piped across the Cooks River Bridge to Tempe to provide all the irrigation needs of the four nearby riverside parks and the local golf course.



“This smart project will benefit thousands of commercial and residential tenants while also breathing life into surrounding parks, picnic grounds and golf courses – all with 100 per cent recycled water,” Mr Iemma said.


any updates on shopping centers or buildings ?

No updates yet, but there are some rumblings so hopefully some news will come out soon. Last I heard, the shopping ctr is being negotiated with someone else who will build that and the twin towers above, and this is whats taking up all the time.

The footings are in for stage 4 of Disc Point, so hopefully digging will start soon. The display office at the bottom of Verge where he display is moving is almost done, so hopefully it wont b long before the display moves there and then they can start work on the shopping ctr.

Mt Olympus Blvd is going gang busters. The road will be raised 3m which means other work in the area needs to be commenced so that everything all sorta joins up... I guess

Things are happening, but very very slowly :(

too slow...........yet to see the place filled with stores and people.The place feels so dead.

Yeah, cant come quick enough for me, Im getting sick of the slow pace here. I hear the shops under Proximity are going to be changed from commercal to mixed commercial/retail. Hopefully that will create some more activity.

The friendly grocer is great, but prices seem to be going up and up ever so slowly now. The vid shop is like lost in limbo, and the Coffee Shop at the bottom of Green Bank is waiting for the toilets to be installed before work progresses. Mind you, no work on the toilets are going on either :(

Once the market picks up, so will the pace, but for now its like watching grass grow, not very exciting at all.

Still though, in the not to distant future, this place is gonna rock and kick some serious butt. Its just a pain waiting for it to get to that stage.

Its a ghost town and that frustrates the crap out of me.

I have a feeling its going to be a long way away before the place really picks up,if the council puts in a big car park the place will grow quicker,so many commuters go to city through wolli creek I've noticed.

When the car park goes in, it will not be to encourage commuters to use it. The car parks main use will be for the shopping ctr above.

The Development Control Plan http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/images/pdf/Rockdale%20DCPs/DCP_45_Railway_Precinct.pdf has stated that the car park is not for communter parking. Im guessing that the car park will probably have a free period (prob 2-3 hours) before you pay and that will discourage commuters from parking their cars there to catch a train to work.

The idea for the area is to promote public transport within the area and by having mainly one lane (in each direction) streets, it will also discourage cars from entering the area, except for the car park. But parking is for short term only.

Its going to be interesting how it all pans out. The place needs a serious injection of services like post office, banks, pharmacy, news agent, not to mention fast food and restaurants.

I think reducing the parking options for commuters living slightly further han walking distance is going to be a big mistake. I live in Earlwood and sometime use the station car park and catch the train to Westfield Bondi Junction, it's better than driving all the way there.

Saw in the SMH the other day - sorry, can't be more precise - that a large tract of land, almost an entire block, is up for sale/auction? just to the west of current development, in Arncliffe. (?)

I think reducing the parking options for commuters living slightly further han walking distance is going to be a big mistake. I live in Earlwood and sometime use the station car park and catch the train to Westfield Bondi Junction, it's better than driving all the way there.

You can use Tempe or Arncliffe for the commuter parking. Wolli Creek is planned to become the regional centre, it's not suitable for the parking.

Chill out guys! From what I can see, Wolli Creek is one of the more "fast moving" developments around. Discovery Point's development control plan (DCP) was only approved mid-2005. And the rest of Wolli Creek's DCP was formally approved Aug 2006.

And already we see many buildings in this area. If you drive along Princes Highway South bound, pass Sydenham, Tempe, and over the Cooks River, you'll realize the extent of development Wolli Creek has already experienced, just by the sheer density and quality of the new buildings.

I think the slow pace of development is typical of Sydney. Just look at Green Square. If only we could learn from places like Singapore or Hong Kong where Building Construction development blossoms rapidly.

Yes but I do agree, this area needs some infrastructure and services/amenities to make it more attractive. Maybe a bit more advertising and incentives from Council would help?

I went to meet Frank Sartor at Wolli Creek on Wednesday last week. I was shocked at his lack of knowledge of anything in this area. He said most of the complaints he was getting from people was about how the road floods, I pointed out to him that Mt Olympus blvd was under construction and that the road would be raised 3metres. You could see all the bulldozers from where we were standing and he had no idea.

Then I asked him about the shopping ctr and if he had any idea of the time table of works in the area. He had no idea that directly behind where we were standing that a shopping centre and public car park was being erected. He knew nothing about nothing. He did however take down all my questions and promised to get back to me with answers.

I have continually over the last few weeks emailed Australand asking what is going on, but they have not replied to any of my emails.

JORNADA, where, can I get hold of the Wolli Creek DCP ??, that would be some very interesting reading. You are right though, when compared to 'Green Square', this place is moving like a rocket lol.

I cant wait for Ikea to be built up the road which will hopefully bring other business's as well, and yeah, once we get our shopping ctr, this place will have a totally new feel and sense of life to it.

I guess we are all just starved for info. If we knew what was going on, and when, it would satisfy that hunger. For those living here its a great place to live and the railway station makes everything soooo much closer and more convenient to get to. Ive never enjoyed catching trains as much as I do these days.

Lord_Bertrum I used to actually live in Earlwood before I moved here. I found driving to Sydenham station and parking around there was great for catching trains. Its better than Tempe as not all trains stop there and if you park near the Bonds factory outlet there is always parking. Just make sure you check out the 'clearway' times.

Lord_Bertrum I used to actually live in Earlwood before I moved here. I found driving to Sydenham station and parking around there was great for catching trains. Its better than Tempe as not all trains stop there and if you park near the Bonds factory outlet there is always parking. Just make sure you check out the 'clearway' times.

Thanks for the tip, however my aim is to reduce driving as I'm already paying for a train ticket. Bradwell Park of Bexley North Stations suffer from not having all trains stop there. So I want to use a nearby station (Park & Ride), anyway don't worry it's not exactly like I make this journey often, once every few months.

Walexx, the link to all the Rockdale Council DCP documents:

http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/CMS/CMSWebContent.nsf/Content/Building_Instruments

Yes I agree, there's not much information available on what are the developers up to. But my guess is that they're just sitting and waiting for property prices to recover. The problem is, we're already in a way over-priced market in Sydney.

We'll just have to be patient and wait for the developments to slowly come through. That's the price to pay for living in an "up and coming" suburb I guess. The new road Mt Olympus Blvd is coming along well! I heard the first stage will be completed end of March, and then the next stage will be the elevation of Magdalene Tce. It'll be a much more attractive road to the railway station.

Thanks for the link Jornada, much appreciated mate.

Yeah Mt Olympus Blvd is coming along nicely. I was just down there 5mins ago having a look at what they are doing. Its going to be great and a lot safer too.

I have had a few close calls driving into the DP car park with cars racing up Magdalene Tce coming from the station, you see them at the very last minute, so with the road being level, it wil stop that. It will be interesting too to see how the traffic flow changes as Im sure people will use the new road instead of Arncliffe Rd ??.

All good things take time, and its actually fun watching it happen. I just want a friggin news agency and proper supermarket for a start. Hopefully all this talk about the market picking up is true and things do infact start to start picking up pace again, then we will see this place take off.

No problems Walexx.

Yes I think Mt Olympus Blvd would change many things.
Most significantly, it would contribute to property values on the West precinct of Wolli Creek (where the Meriton apartments are). Once the road is in, vendors for that precinct can boast an actual 5min "quick and safe" journey to the station.
And of course, it would also encourage new developments.
I know that the DA for the new development bounded by Bonar St, Lusty St, Guess Ave is already approved. I've seen the DA plans and it's going to be a really nice development when completed.

I do think that Australand needs to pick their game up. Yes all this lack of information just drives investors away. I remain skeptical of Australand's intentions, and I'm actually hoping they will sell off the rest of Discovery Point to another more active and progressive developer whom would drive development and lead the market, rather than waiting for things to happen.

Does anyone know who bought the site over Wolli Creek station? At the moment there's a big board erected listing it as "Office Development Opportunity". Honestly, I think it'd be an awesome spot for a corporate office, due to the accessibility and convenience it'd bring to employees.
It's like a suburban Wynyard Station.

btw, can anyone tell me how to post pictures here?

I was thinking I might post some scanned images of the DA plans for the property bounded by Bonar St, Lusty St, Guess Ave, as mentioned above.

Thanks!

you need to post them on another website first, ie, a public photo site like flickr (a yahoo service) http://www.flickr.com/. i use flickr and it only took me a minute to set up, but then again i already had a yahoo account. once you have your images posted elsewhere you link back to them by clicking on the "insert image" button within the advanced reply. if you right click on any of the images you see in these posts and select "properties" you will see the source of the image.

btw, can anyone tell me how to post pictures here?

ImageShack is easy to use. You don't need to create an account.

http://imageshack.us/

Click "Browse" button to select your image and then click "Host it".

On the next page, copy the text in "Hotlink for forums (1)" box and paste it here.

Ok let's see if this works.

I've uploaded scanned images of the DA documents submitted for approval, of the development bounded by Guess Ave, Lusty St, Bonar St.

Hope this gives all of you some idea of what the development would look like when completed.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3766/img003ih9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1297/img004we7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Thanks Jornada!
So is it 8 storey? Not bad at all. It's gonna look bulky and densify the area. I hope they will start the construction soon. I really wanna see something under construction in Wolli Creek. It's too quiet at moment! I really feel jealous whenever I go to Rhodes. Heaps of construction happening over there, both apartments and office buildings.

I'm actually disappointed by the new vege & fruit market. They've just started the business but some of the veges already look stale and some covered by a lot of small flies... eww

Bonar Street *chuckle*

Received a generic letter from Frank Sartor in the mail a few days ago. It basically stated he was going in to bat for the local residents to prevent the proposed park on the corner of Guess Av and Arncliffe St being turned into another development. This is where the truck repair place and water testing place currently reside.

Apparently council are reconsidering the park idea, in favour of more apartments. Let's hope that doesn't happen! I always knew the area would be high density, but without some parkland it won't be very pleasant.

Will be keeping an ear out for word on the proposed change.

On another note, the new road is coming along nicely! Can't wait for it to finish... should cut a couple of minutes off my walk to the station!

Apparently council are reconsidering the park idea, in favour of more apartments.

Really? I don't understand, it's not like we are having a shortage of the development sites, is it?

I personally don't mind either way though. I just want to see the ugly industrial warehouses go as quickly as possible.

Understand your frustration at Disc Pt - much the same happens at Green Square/Victoria Park. For over a year after the completion of the "Form" complex at Victoria Park, nothing happened, then suddenly work started on the "Prominence" site late last year and DAs were lodged for 3 more sites and things seemed to be happening. So I guess it's all about ebb and flow and when to make money.
The much anticipated shopping centre at Vic Pk may actually start being constructed some time later this year (eyes roll, tries not to be cynical).
Also at Green Square, Landcom may actually start demolition - of the ugly former Waverley-Woollahra incinerator - this year and infrastructure and maybe even a building (a real live building!!!), might start early in 2008.
So take heart, it's slow but maybe, perhaps, possibly, in time, things may edge forward in Disc Pt, it's just that I'd like to see some of it at least, happen before I go forth to my Eternal Reward.

I think the main issue with council deciding is the cost involved in buying the land. If I had to choose between making money or spending money on land, I know which way I'd go.

I'm very keen to see the industrial area go, however I can be patient if it means choosing between more units or a park.


I've been up around Green Square a number of times. Never really understood what they were trying to do with the area. Haven't seen any plans though. At the moment, it just looks like they dumped a bunch of units in no mans land. Bit like Wolli Creek I guess.

Id like to see the park myself. The council has raised god knows how many millions of dollars to puurchase the land from all the people in the area as part of the cost of their apartment. If they are now going to use this money for other purposes, and sell the land to developers, I for one, want a refund.

There is going to be so much development in the area, we need some open green space for those living away from the river to create a bit of balance and to give them their own patch of green.

I got a letter from Frank Sartor last week stating that he had sent a letter to the Rockdale mayor asking about the land and what was going to happen to it. The mayor replied back on 13Mar saying that 'I anticipated that further discussion willl be held in the next two weeks. I am hopeful that at the end of this time the Council will be in a better postion to resolve these matters'. The letter from Frank said that he would keep me informed.

I dont know how it was that a letter was sent to me, although I did meet with Frank at Wolli Creek station a few weeks ago to ask about other things. They got my name and address, so I figure thats prob where it came from.

I will keep you guys informed if I ever hear back anything.

Hi there,

Here's some interesting info I found. It's the original DA documents submitted to council for the Discovery Point shopping centre and apartments (site 3):

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/2213/img005iw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/4607/img006eh8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6317/img007bl7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


It was submitted back in Dec 2004. So let's keep our fingers crossed that it will kick off any time soon!

Yes I got the letter from Frank Sartor too. And yes I also long to see the ugly industrial areas cleared out as soon as possible!

Talk about building new units in no-man's land, it's quite typical of the recent urban renewal projects in Sydney:
- Green Square
- Erskineville
- Wolli Creek
- Mascot
It all takes many many years before the infrastructure, amenities, and services gradually gets put into place....

OMG, now that is awesome, finally atleast an idea of what its all going to look like although I hear site 3 has been officially put on hold :( .

The council sent us all a letter last week about a document that is on display at the council, here is the link http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/pdf/Draft_LEP_%20Instrument1.pdf it goes on about amendments to the Rockdale Local Environmental Plan 2000 (Amendment No. 45) .... Interesting reading.

Ok this looks interesting:

http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/CMS/CMSWebContent.nsf/Content/Building_Proposal

The DA for a new development in Wolli Creek is the second one listed.

Word is the DA for stage 3 has been completely scrapped by Australand. It has been removed from council and well, no longer exists.

The rumour going around is that Australand will be submitting a new Da for the shopping ctr minus the towers above, and that the towers above will be built at a later stage just like Rockdale Plaza was. This gives them the flexibility to get stage 3 up and running ie: shopping ctr and car park, and then build the residential towers when the demand is there.

The pulling of the DA is from what I understand confirmed, but the rest is just rumour... I guess stay tuned...

If anyone know more, please do tell.

thats bad news i was hoping there would be more skyscrapers oh well, I hope they will build an even bigger one than the earlier one proposed eventually.

Hi there, yes that's what I heard the last time I spoke to an Australand salesperson. Their intention is to get the shopping centre in as soon as possible, while leaving the residential towers above as a future stage.

I think this is good news, as the shopping centre is really a pivotal point for the success of this area. It already has a state of the art transportation system, all that's left is services and amenities. The injection of these services/amenities will mean a jump in property values in this area as a whole (which would include surrounding suburbs like Arncliffe, Turrella, Tempe etc)

If I were Australand, I'd try to market the new shopping centre along with the release of Site 4 residential apartments.

Also, the other reason or delay of the shopping centre is most probably due to the big supermarket chains (Coles, Woolworths et) holding off on signing the lease in waiting for more residents to move into the Wolli Creek area. Those guys need to maximize their profit so they will only sign on a lease if the business in the area will be profitable.

Great, so we are being held randsom by a supermaket lol..... Yeah, once the shopping ctr goes in, this place will really step up a notch in desirablity, and so will our property values.

Now for the new DA, I hope it doest take too long to be submitted. Yeah if stage 3 and 4 could be done at the same time or there abouts, it will go a long way to filling in the whole and gap, and get this whole project moving along nicely.

The question is which supermarket will it be?

Coles is expanding in Earlwood and I believe also have stores in Rockdale and Kogarah. Woolworths has a store at Marrickville Metro and also on Illawarrah Rd, Marrickville.

Long term this new Wolli Creek store will be a profitable one, the density in that area will be enough to support it and residents in nearby suburbs will also switch from existing stores if they live nearer. I'm sure the big two will be battling it out to move in. If not there could always be an IGA!

I believe it's Woolworths which has more presence in this area. I know they have stores in Rockdale, Kogarah, Marrickville. While Coles resides in Earlwood, and further in Hurstville.

So it seems to make sense that Coles might be grabbing this opportunity.

Yes there's always IGA, or there could be Franklins as well! :)

By the way, Mt Olympus Boulevarde is almost done, and I believe the next stage is to complete the connection between it and Magdalene Tce, which shouldn't take too much longer. They are basically elevating the existing Magdalene Tce lower portion to match the new road's levels.

It's great news for us Meriton dwellers. And I believe it'd mean a slight jump in property values and rentals on our side as now we can boast a "5 minute walk to station" as opposed to the old clumsy 10-15min passing the dirty truck yard.

There is a Coles store in Brighton Le Sands as well.

I just hope it's not IGA...
The product range in IGA stores are generally quite limited.

super iga is quite good and better value than the biggies. i'm looking forward to the one that is meant to be opening soon in the old festival records building in pyrmont, at the end of my street. coles has a stranglehold here with union st and broadway so any competition is good.

Does anybody have any details about the development sourrounded by Guess, Bonar and Lusty streets. When is it due to start and who is the developer.

Mr Build, have a look at Page 7 of this thread. I placed some scanned images which I received from council a while ago.

No idea when is construction going to commence. I do know that the DA has been approved.

Would be interesting to see what sort of units and pricing they'll put in place once the marketing for that development kicks off....

Hi Jordana, the scanned images look good. It will be great for that site to be developed. The western side of Wolli Creek will start to come together nicely once that block is built out. :)

I wonder what the plans are for the sites along the railway line where the zone building is. That part looks pretty ugly along there at the moment.

Guys you do know that the DA for stage 3 was canned not so long ago. From what I hear Australand are trying to get someone else to build the shopping ctr as they now finally realise that its essential to get started on it.

The shopping ctr will be built first and that will be the new DA. As for the towers above, that will now be a separate DA to be lodged I guess when the market picks up.

So for now we will only get the car park and shopping ctr which for me living here will be great. This place is a ghost town.

Stage 2 of the Mt Olympus Blvd is also about to start here are the details http://www.rockdale.nsw.gov.au/rbp/cbp.nsf/(vwUnid)/427D0D092F13FCBE4A25730E001B11FA?OpenDocument

Hmm that's too bad about stage 3 being canned. They probably need more residents in the place to increase vaibility.

I think that's good news that another developer will be building the shopping centre.

It will definitely help speed things up. And if they get it right, the whole area will benefit significantly, both in property values and in quality of life....

Once again, my bet is that Site 4 of Discovery Point will be marketed along with the Shopping Centre portion of Site 3. What better way of luring prospective investors and home buyers than the promise of a retail centre and also an existing major railway station?

Ok let the influx of retail and catering services/facilities begin at Discovery Point!

See link below:

http://www.justlisted.com.au/sp/jlresagplist.asp?stype=cs&fr=home&ag=33

^^
Interesting. They are selling their sales office space as well.

Hi everyone, not sure if this thread is still 'active', but just wanted to introduce myself. I own one of the units in the Meriton Development at Wolli Creek (I do think the Australand apts are much better quality but it was simply a matter of affordability at the time!)
I have been following the development around the area with alot of interest. I've got a close friend who works in the property financing section of a large Bank and they were looking to fund the development of the shopping centre and 2 resi towers by another developer in lieu of Australand. This was back in around April 2007. Unfortunetly the whole thing didn't go ahead as the developer and Australand couldn't work out some of the mechanics. I don't know whether Australand are still planning to do it themselves now or still flog it off to another developer?

I was actually considering selling my unit but last week I rang the agents and very disappointed with the way the properties in the area have dropped in value. I think largely it is due to the perceived notion of many buyers that it is still a 'dead' place. I wish they would hurry up and get the shopping centre in! The agent I spoke to said that it was on 'hold', however apparently they have signed up a pizzeria, and a 400sqm trattoria restaurant at the bottom of proximity which should be opening in the not too distant future - i don't actually live in wolli creek so can anyone confirm any activity like this?

Yeah, they are currently fitting out a pizzeria at the bottom of Proximity called 'Isabella's'. They were putting in floor tiles last week, after having done work on the ceiling the weeks before that. It was supposed to open this month, but id say its a few weeks off opening.

As for the shopping ctr, last I heard was the last DA for the shopping ctr and twin towers was scrapped, and now its back to the drawing board. Australand are very aware of the importance of the shopping ctr, and the plans are constantly being amended to find the best solution. With the downturn in the market, I guess its just very difficult to find a cost effective way to do this. I think in the end the shopping ctr will be built, with the towers to go in at a later stage.... thats what Im hearing anyway.

The other issue for Australand is the public car park, how many floors do they build as parking ??. From what I hear, its also another headache for them to solve.

I think next year we will see some energy come back to the place as far as construction is concerned. All the shops under Greenbank and Verge at Discovery Point are now up for sale/lease, so that should also bring in some new businesses. Lets just hope they are ones we can use like a nice gourmet deli/cafe, Bottle Shop, News Agency/post office, thai and indian restaurant to go with our new italian place.

The place has a lot of potential, but yeah, money is the issue right now. Stage 4 of Discovery Point, which is the next residential building is due to commence construction early next year, so that will hopefully start the place back up.

Yeah my friend told me that the main issue between the developer and Australand was the carparking but not sure of the details. She also said that there're still getting requests for funding from some other developers wanting to lodge DA's for units in Wolli Creek. Its such a small area and its kind of hard for me to envision so many units, shopping centres, commercial/retail areas etc in one small condensed spot.

I think alot of people will be very upset if the shopping centre does not get built in the next few years and the whole area becomes like another Victoria Park, I think most people bought units there in the anticipation that this shopping center would be built.

Anyway if anyone has further news about the whole thing in the future please keep us all posted here!

Hi there em33...

Yes I own a Meriton unit in Wolli Creek as well...
And as far as property values are concerned, I share your frustrations...

But the positive side is that things can only improve as the area develops. One thing that should already have pushed values slightly higher is the newly completed road "Mt Olympus Boulevarde" which gives a direct 5min walk to the station from the Meriton side. Add a few more decent shops, cafes, and hopefully the shopping centre soon, it'd be a lot more attractive place to live (and thus a higher property value).

I know the Meriton units have held their values quite well in the last 2-3 years, although we haven't seen much growth due to the market downturn.

The only information I have regarding the shopping centre is that as far as design goes, it should already be finalized. I had a friend working for Cox Richardson (architects for Discovery Point), and they were completing the final details, including bathroom designs for the units on top.

So I guess it's a matter of Australand working out their issues with other developers and also their funding sources. At the end of the day, I can't envision them trying to sell new units in Site 4 without some promise of the shopping centre coming soon...

Just wanted to let you guys know I had someone from the Discovery Point sales office ring me today (somehow I got onto their marketing list). I told them I would be interested in buying a unit there only if I had confirmation from Australand on when the shopping centre would be built and he said that the construction would definietly commence at the end of 2008. Now this guy is trying to flog a unit to me so I don't know if he's just making it up, but anyway, thats when its supposed to happen, if you want to believe them :)

^ that's still ages away in reality!

Just wanted to let you guys know I had someone from the Discovery Point sales office ring me today (somehow I got onto their marketing list). I told them I would be interested in buying a unit there only if I had confirmation from Australand on when the shopping centre would be built and he said that the construction would definietly commence at the end of 2008. Now this guy is trying to flog a unit to me so I don't know if he's just making it up, but anyway, thats when its supposed to happen, if you want to believe them :)

I think he is just making it up. When I bought my unit in 2004, they said the shopping centre would be ready by the end of 2006.

Next time you talk to him, ask him "How can you be so sure without having the developer of the shopping centre?"

This article appeared in the St.George Leader last Tuesday: a plan for a 14-storey apartment building in Wolli Creek - on the other side of the Princes Hwy from Discovery Point, next to Cahill Park (cnr of Princes Hwy and Gertrude St). Would look very impressive having high-rise on both sides of the highway as you enter Wolli Creek heading south over the Cooks River Bridge. Trust the media to put a negative spin on the proposal!

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/9876/wollicreektower001tx0.jpg

Fairfax are NIMBY's and it includes The Leader. At least the council are putting their positive spin into it :) Looks good.

heheh they should make it taller it will be like the GATEWAY to wolli creek with the bridge and all.

that render makes it look much better than some of the others that have gone up in the area. i actually would have thought it was a prime spot for more deluxe style larger apartments being right on the park and next to the river.

Go to page 26 - shows Australands outstanding parcels (and plans) at Wolli Creek (which may now be out dated):

http://www.australand.com.au/ArticleDocuments/271/Property_Portfolio_06.pdf

bump


is anything going to happen at wolli creek this year or the year coming ,the train station is already starting to show signs of deterioration .

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1976/img019zy3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4041/img018qg0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


This was a brochure I got in the mail the other day... At least it looks like they're doing their best to get things going...

I do know that Discovery Point Site 4 is due for construction soon, including the new road which links that portion to the rail station... The DA was recently submitted for that road construction

Yes I know, the train station is showing its wear and tear. Would be good when they get to build that office tower over it. Then it'll get a major upgrade!

Thanks jornada well theres a start , hopefully he was able to persuade more about the shopping centre.

Hi, new here. any news on new developments? particularly australand's projects? seems quiet and dead. house price in the area is hurting too. place is identified as not-so-hot area according most valuers. hope the shopping centre will be developed quickly......

Ikea plans new stores, for one in a million

November 10, 2007

SYDNEY is in the grip of a flat-pack revolution. Every Saturday, up to 15,000 people wander through Ikea's maze-like megastore in Rhodes, filling oversized trolleys with products bearing unpronounceable names. Then they go home and scratch their heads trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The city's love affair with the Swedish homeware giant saw almost 3 million people converge on its only Sydney store last year. Sales leapt 37 per cent, making it the fastest growing Ikea store in the world.

"It's like a big sports event every Saturday," said the company's Australian boss, Kent Nordin.

Recognising that the shopping experience at Rhodes could soon become an overcrowded nightmare, and keen to attract people who feel Rhodes is too far from home, Mr Nordin is planning a huge expansion program.

He wants Sydney eventually to have four Ikea stores, all bigger than the 25,500 square metres at Rhodes.

The next store will be built in the city's south-east, possibly on the site of the old Tempe tip, on the Princes Highway. The company is also considering areas around St Leonards, in the city's north, and, Liverpool, in the south-west.

"Our rule of thumb, roughly, is one store per million people and, of course in Sydney, with 4 million people, one store is never going to be good enough," Mr Nordin said.

Ikea's global success came down to a simple three-point formula, he said.

"You come out here and you see solutions. We try to show you how your home can work. Then, when you look at the price tag for that shelf or hook, you say, 'I can actually afford to do that.' The third is that you can pick it up and have it today."

Despite Marrickville Council documents revealing that a new store at the remediated tip site could cost $250 million, Mr Nordin rejected suggestions that an expansion would lead to a rise in prices.

The council was briefed in September on a preliminary proposal by the developer Valad Property Group to transform the 10-hectare site of the former tip into a retail showroom and warehouse for Ikea measuring 33,000 square metres.

If approved, the site will also house the company's Australian headquarters and have parking for 1700 cars.

nice find, hope they go ahead with the decision soon

yeah Ive known about the Ikea thing for about 3 years now, but last I heard was that Ikea had pulled out because the ground was contaminated. I guess they have solved the problem, or have found a way to satisfy concerns and are now pushing ahead.

I think it would be great and well, it will get people coming to the area as a whole as a lot of people just drive through. Anyway that brings infrastructure and cleans up the place from the drab ugliness of it all is a good thing.

Like all Ikea stores, its usually accompanied with other stores too, so we might see a really good retail centre going in to compliment the Ikea store, and thats a good thing for everyone.

As for the shopping ctr at Discovery Point, last I heard was that all documents would be submitted to council by the end of Oct, so fingers crossed some news comes out soon. Stage 4 starts construction next year as there are just a handful of apartments now left in stage 1 and 2, so I think next year will be big and this place will finally start moving again.

what happened to ikea at moore park? i wonder why they would close that one when they have been after 4 stores.

They closed it when they opened the big Rhodes store, alleging the site was too small and that there was nowhere on the site for them to expand - same reason given for closing the Gordon store some years ago. Not impressed: I could find my way through the Moore Park store without have to call in search rescue teams! and it was - selfishly - real handy for me.

The Moore Park centre was an embarrasment. It didn't even sell the Ikea meatballs!! Wolli Creek would be awesome... right down the road :banana:

The amended DA for site 3 at Discovery Point is now on public display at Rockdale Council. This is an email I got from a friend who inspected it today.

'For your information, I inspected the amended DA plans & documents at Rockdale City Council this morning.

The plans indicate space on the 1st floor for a supermarket and for up to 11 small shops, on the second level provision for a child care centre and a few extra shops, and on the podium level a small garden for the exclusive use of residents. No pool or gym are provided for residents who will live in the 224 apartments.

The fit out of the non residential floor space will be subject to further DAs. That being the case it may be another year or two before there is a supermarket or any shops. Looks like there is more money for Australand in the provision public child care facilities. The apartments are small - most are 1 bedroom x 138 (95), 2 bedroom x 84 (107), 3 bedroom nil (32), and studio x 2 (24) - numbers in brackets are what was proposed in the original scheme, ie 258 apartments.

The main pedestrian entrance for the proposed supermarket (??) is off Brodie Spark Drive as are the two separate entrances for the residential towers. So expect traffic problems with furniture movements.

The site proposes 504 car spaces of which 244 are for residential, 32 for retail/commercial, 216 for public parking, 12 for SRA and trades persons, and 1 bay for a carwash. All car access is off Magdalene Terrace - that also means the cumulative traffic movements from the underground car parks for Sites 1, 2, 3, and most of Site 4. So expect grid lock at the Brodie Spark Drive round-a-bout as delivery trucks to the supermarket and garbage trucks will also use Magdalene Terrace.

Very limited cross flow ventilation is available so the design promotes use of balconies for the drying of washing (!!!!!) even though they are small.

The documents state that management of the public areas will be the shared responsibility of all strata owners of the 9 Discovery Point sites.'

The plans indicate space on the 1st floor for a supermarket and for up to 11 small shops, on the second level provision for a child care centre and a few extra shops, and on the podium level a small garden for the exclusive use of residents.


Thanks for the info, Walexx.
Only a few shops on the second level? So would it be like 15 shops all together beside the supermarket? That's very small. I was expecting it to be at least 30 shops... :(

Oh well, better than nothing.

Yeah 15 shops or so is very disappointing. I was hoping for a mini Rockdale Plaza or Marrickville Metro, styled similar to that of Rhodes. I just hope it doesnt turn into one of those deserted pokey shopping arcades that goes very quickly to decay because hardly any shops are let out and those that are dont exactly bring anything worthwhile to the area.

Ive seen too many new developments with empty shops and after a while it really looks tired and derelict. It would be a real shame if it turned out like that here.

Hopefully Im wrong and it gets a really good mix of shops and is a bustling local shopping centre. As long as the supermarket is a good one thats a good size, then I can live with a reduced amount of shops in the centre. After all, it doesnt have to be big, it just has to have a good mix of shops to support the local community. I just hope its not full of little offices with doctors, dentists, accountants, and real estate agents. If the mix is right it will be awesome, if wrong, it will be a real disappointment to everyone who have been sitting around waiting for all of this.

I went to the rockdale council website but could not find any info on it. Im sure there is a link somewhere. I will have to go to the council as I really wanna see what its all about.

Not sure if it's already been mentioned but I beleive Stage 4 'Pacifica' is currently out to construction tender. Could kick off Feb/March next year....

Wow, finally we have the name, 'Pacifica', hmmmmmm, sounds like it should be on the shores of a beach, not Cooks River lol.

Where did you find this out from Buildit ?.

Finally some action again, They have been doing a bit of work at the display centre with new decals on the windows and sprucing everything up, so I guess they are getting ready to market it.

From what I hear, there are only 3 apartments left in Green Bank, all 3 being on my floor (8th), and about 10 or so left in Verge, possibly less. So yeah, its time to bring another one to market.

problem with australand is they are selling at a premium price where comparable 1,2,3 bedrooms at proximity/meriton are selling much cheaper.
That is the reason units at verge and greenbank are selling ever so slowly. The fact that there arent many shops around made it difficult for owners occupiers to consider buying a unit/ living in the place. Most lenders/banks' valuation of discovery point is always 5-10% short of australand's price, in line with prices in proximity/meritons I guess. you can argue that the buildings are newer and has got more quality but they're probably looking at average sales price in the area to allocate a value to a property instead of quality etc... recent rate rise doesnt help either. so all this is driving owner occupiers away, particularly those who's buying on a tight budget.
For investors, rental rate is at all time high, doesnt really matter what type of building it is in wolli creek, a 2 bedroom wld fetch a good $400 plus. So i guess these guys couldnt be bothered buying a premium if the they can a find cheaper place with lower strata.
despite all this, i've jst moved into verge and hope for better things to come. as we all knw the location is excellent, train station is a plus. fingers crossed, once the shopping centre comes in, it'll be much busier......hopefully site 3 & 4 will be starting next year...

Ive just had a look at some of the plans for Site 3. Im off to the council on tuesday morning to have a really good look.

Im not sure what to make of it. I guess I always had the impression that we were getting a shopping ctr, and pretty much thought a mini Rockdale Plaza, or Marrickville Metro would on the offereing. It turns out that the Supermarket wil be in the middle and surrounded on street level by shops with a few more on a podium level above. Not really a shopping ctr though, just a supermarket with shops around it, similar to what Coles in Brighton is like. Its pretty disappointing, but that probably because I expected something else.

Its not bad though, and better than nothing, but yeah, I really think its a compromise than a real solution.

There are now only 2 towers, not 3 and they are small and pokey, and get this, the actual documentation says that because of the 2m sq balconies, people can use the balconies to dry their washing. Nooooooooo frigging way can they actually expect that, let alone put it on paper. This place is going to turn into a slum.

Australand have really lost the plot, they are obviously marketing this to investors who dont care who they get in as long as they pay the rent. I am not saying renters are bad, but its a known fact that more owner occupiers means a greater sense of pride in the place, and well, with more 1 bedders than 2 and NO 3 bedders (thats because they say that 3 bedders will be in stage 5 and 6 which is the water front), it shows that they are going for quick sales, and not quality apartments. I guess its a great foot in the door for a first home buyer and is great for investors, but i just hope it doesnt bring down the area.

Anyway, I urge everyone with an interest to check out the plans at council as public comments close on 29Nov (I think).

Coincidentally, I had a day off today so I went into Rockdale City Council to have a look at the ammended DA plans for Discovery Point Site 3.

Well to be honest, it doesn't look that bad.... The fact that the shopping centre has always been planned to be one "not in the form of a regional shopping centre", but rather to primarily serve the local community. This is quoting from the official Development Controls document.

Basically the supermarket space on the ground floor occupies a huge amount of floor space, while the rest of the shops occupies the perimeters of the supermarket. The podium level has a number of standard sized shops, and 2 or so large sized tenancies (Dick Smith / Bing Lee type store size), plus a child care centre.

So overall, it's not a bad proposal. I think the shops on Ground level are supposed to complement the other shops within Greenbank and Verge.

I think the only bad side of the proposal are the two residential towers. Yes they look rather ordinary, unlike the original proposal which had around three residential buildings with interesting designs (have a look at my previous post a few pages back, with a few scan images of the original Site 3 plans/elevations). I guess as pointed out by Walexx, these residential units are targetted mainly at investors. This makes sense, as renters would not be too fussed about views and quality of finishes, but more focussed on convenience.

I'm going to go to Rockdale council this Saturday to have a look at the plans. To be honest, it all sounds really disappointing so far. All this wait and we get a single supermarket, some shops and two ordinary buildings. Yes I do think the area is going to turn into a bit of a slum if they let tenants hang up their washing in the balcony.
Not to mention that I think there will be a massive oversupply in Wolli Creek in the upcoming years. With owner occupiers turning away from the area because of lack of conveniences, the only people you have who will buy in the area are investors. And with the resi market being so flat and looks to be that way for a while due to rising rates, investors aren't going to be rushing to buy in the area.
What a shame..

By the way, does anyone know rough timings for all of this to happen? From the posts above it looks as though they are doing Stage 4 first (Pacifica), then Stage 3. Does this mean that Stage 3 is still at least 2 years away?

^^
Yes.

http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100024/sc000048c7/web.jpg

Here is the council ad from last weeks Leader and documents from the amended DA.

http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/1jpg/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/2/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/3/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/4/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/5/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/6/web.jpg

Wow, finally we have the name, 'Pacifica', hmmmmmm, sounds like it should be on the shores of a beach, not Cooks River lol.

Where did you find this out from Buildit ?.



Very reliable source.

Cheers

Oooh I hope they're nice glass buildings. Thanks Buildit.

the pizza's place is up and running. any one check it out yet? also, new display at australand sales centre.

the pizza's place is up and running. any one check it out yet?

I tried one of the chicken meals. It was very nice and the price seems reasonable.

The only thing I don't like about the shop is their signboard. It's just a sticker on the window. Looks very cheap. I can't believe some shop owners tend to underestimate the importance of their signboards...

Double post

Here is the council ad from last weeks Leader and documents from the amended DA.
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100032/1jpg/web.jpg


Twin 16-storey towers, that's a great addition to the Wolli Creek skyline! Will really add to the look of the mini-skyline.

Does anyone else think that the two new proposed residential towers on top of the shopping centre is a bit too close to the Verge building?

Just wondering what impact it has on the existing Verge residents. It's almost like looking directly at each other's balconies...

Does anyone else think that the two new proposed residential towers on top of the shopping centre is a bit too close to the Verge building?

Just wondering what impact it has on the existing Verge residents. It's almost like looking directly at each other's balconies...

Thats what often happens in these suburban multi-apartment building developments.

Yeah, ive often thought the same thing. The guys in Verge are going to be staring right into these towers, especially as they are higher than Verge. It will really take away their sense of privacy, especially as most of the apartments are all looking into the bedrooms of the Verge apartments.

Atleast with Green Bank, if a building goes in across the road, there is double the distance between the buildings making it not feel so in your face.

why are there so many 1 bedroom in greenbank on sale?

why are there so many 1 bedroom in greenbank on sale?



I think investors are trying to sell them off because alot of the 1 bedders don't have parking. Invesors have bought them and realised they can't rent out easily because tenants want parking. There may be a great train line nearby but people still need their cars to get to the shops to do their groceries and so forth.
The 1 bedders which do have parking, are being rented out for something like $380-$400 a week. I think tenants realise they can get a 2 bedder in the Meriton or Multiplex complex for an extra $20 and usually go for those instead.

Just had a chat with australand sales this morning. Site 4 sales will start as early as May next year. Both towers expected to be completed by end of 2009 (very optimistic) Price of the one bedders which are smaller going to be around 350K. No extra facilities, so residents going to share with the existing swimming pool and gym, so I'd guess strata commitments will be lower for everyone in discovery point.

When you say both towers, dont you mean site 3 ??. Site 4 is the next residential stage, site 3 is the twin towers on top of what will be our supermaket.

As for site 3 or 4 using the pool and gym in site 1 (greenbank), that currently a bit of an issue. Site 4 was originally supposed to use the public pool and gym in site 3, which with the amended DA no longer exists.

Residents as well as the exec committee of site 1 put in a submission to council concerning this with amended DA for site 3 as its related, so yeah, lets see what happens.

Because of the pool and gym area, and the ratio of apartments, there is a very good chance site 4 will not get access. As for site 3 (twin towers) getting access to the pool and gym, that was never part of the deal either. If Australand are not granted use of those facilities by council and by resident opposition, its going to make it a very interesting with sales campaign. I mean, hmmm, how do u get top dollar for an apartment with no access to a very visible pool, and gym facilities.

So 2009 is the target, geeze, the place is just rotting away right now, they better hurry up and start work. The natives are getting very restless with the inactivity.

Yeah sorry for the confusion, site 4 has been scrapped alltogether. Australand's plan is for Residence from Site 3 (the two towers) to use Greenbank's gym and pool. The Australand dude also mentioned site 4 will have its own gym and pool when it is eventually built. This facilities will then be shared by future sites.

As slow as it seems, things are definitely picking up, better times ahead.

Hmmmm thats interesting as there have been recent amendments to site 4, but none are for a pool and gym. The building is half the size of Site 2 (verge) and has the same amount of apartments 88.

Australand want to use the pool and gym for Site 4 which is the next residential building, but no mention of any pool and gym facilities for site 3 the twin towers.

Regardless of who Australand think they will give access to the Pool and Gym, its not going to be without a fight. Residents in Site 1 are jack of the abuse to facilities that some residents in Site 2 are already dishing out, so another building is not gonna be that easy for Australand.

As for everything else, yeah, better times ahead I hope. The market is slowly and surely picking up and this place is just on the verge of something amazing.

ohh i just found out abt the garden and bbq place at the back.. i love it

Oh, u didnt know about the bbq area ??. Its pretty cool except no shelter, but thats going to be my project for next year, to get some shelter down there :).

Mt Olympus is also now all lit at night, it looks amazing.... Ok I say that cause it was my idea lol.

Amendments for stage 4 have been sent to owners in the area, looks interesting. Ill try and get some scans up over the next few days

Do I have to book the BBQ place if I wana use it. Yeah saw the lights on the tree. lol.. Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nup you dont have to book it, just go down and use it. Its electric so you just push the button and away you go. The park is great and while its private for now, you atleast have some exclusive use of it without the place being crowded.

Enjoy it, and Merry Christmas to you too..

Btw fernandotorrres, what building r u in ?.

Thanks for the info...

Living in Verge now.

Are you in one of those apartment facing the river overlooking Mt Olympus? The view there must be breathtaking.

Wonder how Pacifica will look like.

Plans have been submitted to council on 18Dec for a Restaurant and Wine Bar on the corner of Arncliffe Rd and Magdelene Tec. Its called 'Proximity One', looks pretty cool. I personally like it, I just hope the doom and gloomsters that killed the Restaurant and Wine Bar at the Discovery Point Chapel with their fear campaign of drunk people everywhere causing havoc, increasing crime, bringing drugs, murder, and prostitution into the area dont kill this idea off. The place is like a ghost town at night, this will certainly bring life into the place and provide locals with a place to have a drink and get to know eachother.

Here are the plans from the council website.

http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100070/----cache-DA-2008-237plan1/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100070/----cache-DA-2008-237plan2/web.jpg
http://gallery.mac.com/walexx/100070/----cache-DA-2008-237plan3/web.jpg

This will cater to a niche market so it wont be as bad as having a pub (The area only has the Arncliffe Hotel on the Princes Highway). It's not where Joe Bloggs would spending his nights after a hard day at work.

It will enhance social activity rather than generate anti social behaviour. As for the place dead at night, theres hardly even a car parked on nearby streets and it's black!!!

I totally agree with you Fabian, and I hope people of Wolli Creek send in letters to the council to support this DA. If the place is run well, it will be a great addition to the area as well as bring in much needed 'life' to what is fast become a very dull and depressed place at night.

As for the rest of the place, progress is very slooooooooooooow to the point that nothing has occured in the development in the last year. I hope this doesnt become another Green Square that lies dorment for years before it starts to come to life.

There are so many lost opportunities Australand have ignored in this development. Its quite sad really, it has the potential to really be something special but its fast turning into a bit of a dud and the natives who paid very well above what their apartments are worth are really becoming restless.

I travel by train daily and there has been nothing new to check over the past few months. I usually enjoy passing through the area for a construction update.

I read in some previous posts that Discovery Point Site 4 is to be released early this year? And that Site 3 Shopping Centre and Towers are to be completed by end of next year?

If that is true, then it is a glimmer of hope!

I wish Australand would take some time and have a look at how far Mirvac has come with the Rhodes Waterside development, and learn a lesson or two on taking on golden opportunities. The last time I was down there, 2-bedroom apartments were going for the high 500K to mid 600K mark...

Interestingly enough, Australand's head office is at Rhodes!!

It's been pretty quiet here lately...

So has there been any updates with Australand and Discovery Point?

I noticed on the Rockdale City Council's website that the DA for the mixed used major development on the corner of Princes Highway & Gertrude St is being approved "in principle"

Also, there's a DA currently in progress for the demolition of properties along Marsh ST & Innesdale road for another major development.

I would love to see new construction being kicked off this year! Prediction is that the market should be picking up. Perfect time to start building and marketing!

By the way, anyone know what's happening with the Restaurant and Wine Bar at the bottom of the Proximity Building?

The wine bar closed for submissions 2 weeks ago, i put in a submission saying that I totally supported it. I knew lots of others did too, but people also put in submissions saying they didnt approve so fingers crossed..

Nothing new at DP except that the Chapel and Tempe House is being handed back to the residents, probs from around Easter. It will be opened 6 days a year to the public, but its uses at this stage is yet to be intended, its up the co-op. I quite like the idea of artists studios and a library for Tempe House and maybe a wedding chapel for the church using the gardens for wedding photos, but no reception uses as it would get too much in the way of residents ie: noise and the like.

Yeah lots going on this year. State 3 and 4 hopefully some news on those soon too.

when i pass this area on the train i get saddened to see half finished projects that haven't moved in years... :(

The vege shop has closed down. :(
It was a dodgy shop from the start though. Overpriced for stale veges and fruits...

Australian Fleet Sales (used-car dealer) at the corner of Princess Hwy and Brodie Spark Drive has also been emptied. I'm not sure what's comming next.

hmm.. talk about dodgy shops, Wolli Creek has experienced quite a few of them... I think the two most dodgy and plain useless shops I've ever seen used to be on Arncliffe St under the Proximity building:
- J-Source (Japanese Variety store) :ohno:
- Print & Copy Centre :ohno:

I don't know why do we get these no brainer businesses opening up around our area... We deserve better!!!!

On a positive note, the new Isabellas Pizza place has pretty decent food and friendly people....

And has anyone noticed the nice landscaping which council is developing on the side of Mt Olympus Blvd? Going to look great when it's all finished! Now we need a new development along Mt Olympus Blvd with shops and cafes.. that'll complete the picture!

^^
You forgot to mention the nail & beauty salon. :)

Lock Smith and the financial broker are pretty useless too. I wish they would replace with something more useful.

On the other hand, I'm in love with the proposal of Proximity One pub.
I really really hope it will go ahead! If this proposal was declined, it would take another 10 years for the next proposal.

BTW what happend to the cafe proposal under Greenbank next to the swimming pool?

There has been a delay with the pub at the bottom of proximity. Apparently the people who want to do it didnt get approval from the BMC of Proximity, so they have to wait for that before putting in a new DA at council. Lets hope the people in proximity give it approval.

It seems we have a history of crappy shops and all the good stuff ie: bottle shop, restaurant, pub are getting people opposing it because they are too closed minded to see the benefits to the area and the life it will bring. They base all their opinions on fear of violence and crime.

As for the cafe at the bottom of Geenbank, dont worry too much about that, I hear something very exciting could be going in there ....... 'watch this space' as they say :).

Ill have to go take a look at the landscaping on Mt Olympus Blvd. I noticed the other day that the ground had been prepared for something, so I guess, they have since planted some stuff ?.

Im looking forward to the sculpture and garden in the round a bout tooo. The recent planting of the medium strips looks great, I hope the round a bout is finished off nicely. Its taking a loooong time.

Maybe not narrow minded. They probably have their own reasons. For me the place really need a restaurant/takeaway shop like Thai or Chinese. It also lack basic facilities like post office, banks, atm, newsagency etc. but then again all these wont come along when level of occupancy in the place is so low. Good to see the pizza place doing so well.

On another issue, the recent increase in rates is not doing any good to the area.Dont know if Australand is affected or not but its definite that the funding of the development will be much more expensive due to credit shortage. Not even Australand can predict how the demand on the new apartments will be like.

Anyway, the place is all about potential. Its enormous when you think about things like; 10km to city. 2 train lines. a bit of water and parklands. new area. affordability. quality of life. If not in 5 years, it'll definitely be the hottest place in Sydney in 10. We know that didn't we?

when i pass this area on the train i get saddened to see half finished projects that haven't moved in years... :(

I dont see anything half finished atm, but the hole in the ground gives me the wits. I want some cranage.

I dont see anything half finished atm, but the hole in the ground gives me the wits. I want some cranage.

There is one prominent "half finished" project: Proximity Building C (Commercial)

This portion is the big empty hole next to Proximity, bounded by Magdalene Tce, Mt Olympus Blvd, and Guess Ave. It was supposed to be commercial and retail. Planned to be built in conjunction with the new Mt Olympus Blvd road... Along with the promised Town Park next to it....

Wasn't the town park supposed to be on the corner of Arncliffe St and Guess St, diammetrically opposite to the vacant commercial block?

Wasn't the town park supposed to be on the corner of Arncliffe St and Guess St, diammetrically opposite to the vacant commercial block?

Yes it is. The Town Park is very big, so it starts from the location as you mentioned, and covers the entire piece of land bounded by Arncliffe St, Guess Ave, Mt Olympus Blvd.

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/06278dfdfc.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

A big concern is the current occupants of 2 Guess St have submitted a DA to make alterations and additions to their current workshop space ie:

'DA - 276 / 2008 - Development Application
Description: Alterations and additions to existing metal workshop
Submitted: 01/02/2008
2 Guess Avenue WOLLI CREEK NSW 2205 - Estimated Cost: $38500.00'

I thought the town centre was supposed to be started soon. If these guys are making additions then it means that they wont be out of there for quite some time. Considering that the council has a few million dollars just sitting there for the purchase of the land and for the works to turn it into a town centre, its very concerning to think that this isnt going to happen.

The money the council has is money given by the developers of Proximity and Discovery Point, as well as money everyone who purchased would have had to contribute to the fund, so its our money that council is sitting on, and now the occupants of that land want to put in a DA which is only going to prolong the entire process of the land being given back to the community.

The car yard on the corner of the Princes Hwy and Brodie Spark Dr has been vacated. I see in the map above there is a green star on its location stating 'landmark building'.

Does anyone have any goss ??

A big concern is the current occupants of 2 Guess St have submitted a DA to make alterations and additions to their current workshop space ie:

'DA - 276 / 2008 - Development Application
Description: Alterations and additions to existing metal workshop
Submitted: 01/02/2008
2 Guess Avenue WOLLI CREEK NSW 2205 - Estimated Cost: $38500.00'

I thought the town centre was supposed to be started soon. If these guys are making additions then it means that they wont be out of there for quite some time. Considering that the council has a few million dollars just sitting there for the purchase of the land and for the works to turn it into a town centre, its very concerning to think that this isnt going to happen.

The money the council has is money given by the developers of Proximity and Discovery Point, as well as money everyone who purchased would have had to contribute to the fund, so its our money that council is sitting on, and now the occupants of that land want to put in a DA which is only going to prolong the entire process of the land being given back to the community.

From the value of the DA it doesn't seem a major piece of work, and although it is a concern for the Town Park's future, the DA could easily be rejected.

Does the council have a timeframe for acquiring land for the town park? I remember reading somewhere it was slated for 2007-2008.

Yeah I was under the impression that the negotiating had already begun and that council had already agreed on a price and the money had been put away for the purchase of it.

If this DA goes ahead which to me is a bit of a conflict of interest on the part of the council, then the whole 'town centre' is surely going to be delayed for several more years. Its a lot of money they are spending 385k, so its not like they will spend it only if they are not planning on staying on for quite a few more years if not longer ??.

Its the money from the developers and owners of all new apartments in Wolli Creek that is not being spent correctly here. That is just criminal, then again I hear because of everything being so new around here, atleast 1million dollars a year of rate payers money from Wolli Creek is being spent in other parts of the Rockdale Municipality, another rip of to Wolli locals who are paying their rates and getting little to no benefit from it.

Its the money from the developers and owners of all new apartments in Wolli Creek that is not being spent correctly here. That is just criminal, then again I hear because of everything being so new around here, atleast 1million dollars a year of rate payers money from Wolli Creek is being spent in other parts of the Rockdale Municipality, another rip of to Wolli locals who are paying their rates and getting little to no benefit from it.

Walexx, have you raised this with Council?

The last time I sent an email to them, I had a very quick response. So they do check and respond to emails, surprisingly!

I find it hard to believe that they would start work on the Town Park so soon... I think Discovery Point needs to take off a bit more, before Council will take this area more seriously....

Yeah I was under the impression that the negotiating had already begun and that council had already agreed on a price and the money had been put away for the purchase of it.

If this DA goes ahead which to me is a bit of a conflict of interest on the part of the council, then the whole 'town centre' is surely going to be delayed for several more years. Its a lot of money they are spending 385k, so its not like they will spend it only if they are not planning on staying on for quite a few more years if not longer ??.

Its the money from the developers and owners of all new apartments in Wolli Creek that is not being spent correctly here. That is just criminal, then again I hear because of everything being so new around here, atleast 1million dollars a year of rate payers money from Wolli Creek is being spent in other parts of the Rockdale Municipality, another rip of to Wolli locals who are paying their rates and getting little to no benefit from it.

Yeah it is a rip if they take the suburbs rates and use it elsewhere, but such is the nature of public funds I guess.

Btw, it's only $38,500 and not $385k, so the value of the DA is quite small. Could even be for something temporary like signage.

Agree that the town park would be weird until the rest of the area picks up, but it would be good to get some development going anyway.


[Edit] Would be a good thing I guess if quite a number of people write in to ask about the town park, could get the council off their a$$es!

OOps yes it is 38,500 not 385k lol........ Hmmmm, thank god im not in the banking industry lol. Yeah I am gonna write to the council and ask them what the deal is, its a pretty poor effort to take all our money have it sitting in an account accumulating interest, and then not use if for years and years as intended.

For those who saw the Leader newspaper for 14 February 2008, there was an article about another building going up in Wolli Creek on the Cnr of Gertrude St and the Hwy, Background information on the 13 storey building (photo in paper) and on the other building (9 storey) at Marsh Street can be found on the Rockdale City Council website - 'Business Papers' for 6 February 2008. Both developments have requirements to contribute to the Section 94 Fund $1,099,932.39 and $780,087.41 respectively. The majority of the Sec 94 funding is for open space purposes, most of which should be going to Wolli Creek to purchase land.

Also, the Council at its meeting on 20 February 2008 is to consider a proposal for an 8 storey mixed use building at 20-22 Princes Highway Wolli Creek. The applicant is seeking retail/commercial space and 25x2 bedroom apartments.

As for Discovery Point, Stage 4 will no longer be called 'Pacifica', thank god, the new name is now "Watermark' which I really like myself. Australand are pushing for Stage 3 to start first (shopping ctr and twin towers), and then Stage 4. I guess it would make sense to start stage 3 first, and maybe start stage 4 halfway thru so they both finish pretty close to each other which would also fill in a lot of the access points to the railway station and sort all of that part of the development out in one hit, so fingers crossed thats whats gonna happen.

I hear the plan is for a fulll size Coles or Wollies, not Aldi or some other smaller style supermarket, so in that respect, its a good thing too.

Thanks for the info Walexx, I browsed the council site and managed to find the renders of proposed towers in Wolli Creek.

26-32 Marsh St
9 storey mixed use premises containing 87 units, 3 commercial units, basement parking for 128 vehicles

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4331/marshstqe6.jpg


4-6 Princess Hwy
13 storey plus podium mixed use development with 3 basement levels, 140 units, 143m2 of cafe floor space and 250m2 of retail floor space

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3569/13storeykx1.jpg


20-22 Princess Hwy
8 storey mixed use development with 2 basement levels, 25 units, 580m2 of retail floor space and 1,915m2 of commercial floor space

http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5285/2022princessfs9.jpg

^^
I love this one!!!
But this building has FSR of 4.1:1 on the site where the recommended FSR is only 2.85:1... So the chance may be slim. :(

That area of the Princes (male) Highway is in need of a few decent buildings.

Yesterdays Leader (St George Edition) reported on that the Marsh St development has been approved by council :)

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4331/marshstqe6.jpg

I really like the Marsh street development, it looks very funky and will certainly be a great spot to watch the planes come in and out.

Will be interesting when cooks cove starts as the whole area will just be transformed.

Just had a look at some australand units (1 and 2 bed) last saturday. The quality is dissapointing. I thought the Meriton ones were much better with kitchen and carpets, the pool area is bigger and in door.

lol.. i've been to meritons and live in australand's, are you talking about other suburbs?

No, talking about wolli creek. I live in the meritons and visited both the australand ones. No doubt they look modern from the outside, the actual quality of the units i wasnt happy with. The kitchens in all the ones i visited was falling apart and the carpets are just too thin compared to the meriton ones. The pool area in meriton is covered and indoor. The gym in australand is probably better.

I don't want to turn this thread into Meriton vs Australand crap. You can tell us how happy you are living in your choice of apartment, but don't have to criticise other people's apartments.

He has a perfect right to state what he has perceived and agreeing or disagreeing with him is what this forum - note the word 'forum' - is all about. I find it hard to believe the validity of his judgement given my experience, but if that's what he believes, then fine. I'll make up my own mind when I have had a chance to make my own evaluation. 'Criticising' is not a bad thing if it is based on observation, judgement and experience. It is only 'bad' when its intent is negative, biased, uninformed and vicious.
Maybe the Meriton/Australand situation is different at Wolli Creek from what it is in Green Square; maybe not.

i just find it funny...
anyway, with the town park, the shopping centre underway and a few more development approvals. the place should be good in a couple of years.