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Ku-ring-gai Council’s idea of building 45-storey apartments in Gordon to preserve heritage elsewhere in its local area is under threat because at least one of the sites identified for possible redevelopment is heritage-listed and owned by the council itself.
North shore agents and industry leaders have poured cold water on Ku-ring-gai Council’s thought bubble – revealed in a report to councillors and to be discussed on Wednesday night – to erect taller residential towers in smaller sections of the municipality, which was one of several raised by council staff as possible alternatives to the state government’s transport-oriented development (TOD) plan.
The view from Gordon train station, where Ku-ring-gai Council is considering allowing buildings to stretch up to 45 storeys high.Credit: James Brickwood
Houssam Yakzan, an agent at property group Savills who represents owners selling in TOD areas, said there were huge barriers to developing on the sites identified by the council.
“The council’s alternative plan is unlikely to deliver the proposed dwellings number as the density burden falls on council-owned land, some heritage-listed, which may never be sold to developers,” he said.
In Gordon, under its “Preserve and Intensify” option, the council identified two blocks of land that could be upzoned to allow buildings to stretch up to 45 storeys high. One of those blocks includes its council chambers – a heritage-listed building.
The protections that come as a result of that listing make the site virtually impossible to develop, Yakzan said.
“If you’re trying to put a proposal together that would be least impactful to heritage, I can’t see how a 45-storey building on a heritage item meets that criteria.”
His concerns were shared by Urban Taskforce Australia chief executive Tom Forrest, who said building residential apartments on top of heritage-listed sites was “one thing I’ve never seen”.