City West Files Affordable Towers at Alexandria

Plans for the next stage of City West’s affordable housing development at Alexandria has been filed. 

After the submission of a concept development application (DA) last year for Acacia Apartments, the developer has now lodged the second stage of the project.

City West has submitted a development application for the detailed design and construction of a mixed-use development at 330 Botany Road with the City of Sydney. 

It undertook a Competitive Design Alternatives Process for the project, which comprises of two buildings of 10 and 12 storeys with 255 apartments of affordable housing.

It also provides for 937sq m of non-residential ground floor space, and parking for 292 cars. 

The project ”presents an exceptional opportunity to provide affordable housing, while minimising environmental impacts and improving the amenity of the city’s streets and valued public spaces,” according to the application prepared by Ethos Urban.

It was allowed 10 per cent additional height subject to design excellence through the Competitive Design Alternatives Process—AJC Architects was the successful entrant.

The site is 4km south of the Sydney CBD and 7km from the airport, 200m from Green Square railways station and south-west of the Green Square Town Centre, which is touted as the largest urban renewal project in Australia.

The project is expected to cost $171.1 million.

City West said that as an affordable housing provider, its eligible applicant waiting list had more than 1300 applicants on low to moderate incomes.

While affordable development is trickling through, the difficulties in making projects stack up as a result of rising construction costs as well as increased levies and fees for infrastructure are holding projects back.

City West, however, has been full-steam ahead, buying up its fourth inner city Sydney housing site two months ago, while other developers such as Billbergia are announcing affordable projects in areas like Rhodes.