Showground Station Precinct Reveals Plans for 3600 Homes

The $3 billion Showground Station Precinct masterplan has been revealed with a syndicate of private owners and corporate stakeholders planning to build 3600 new dwellings on the nine-hectare site.

The new masterplan will offer 360 apartments for affordable housing.

Discussions are also under way to provide two rent-free apartments as transitional accommodation for families who are victims of domestic violence.

The Showground is the largest land development within the Showground Station Precinct in the Hills Shire, taking up more than 90,000sq m of residential land – an amalgamation of 76 properties.

The syndicate of developers and private owners include Decode founder Sam El Rihani and Tangarra’s Raymond Younan. Managing director at Allen Jack + Cottier Jim Koopman is heading up the urban design for the precinct.

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Project director Joseph Chiha said the development is going to be the largest single social responsibility commitment made by a private developer on private land in Australia.

“Private and corporate investors agreed to dedicate 10 per cent of all dwellings – 360 apartments – for sale to first home buyers at below market rate, along with other incentives including reduced deposit requirements, plus another 10 per cent for sub-market rental by key workers, veterans and the disabled,” he said.

While details of the offer are still yet to be confirmed, Chiha says he can guarantee a good deal for first home buyers who will probably have “their name drawn out of a hat by a Government representative.”

The new masterplan proposal comes just months after three developers pulled out of plans for the priority precinct.

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In January, Mirvac withdrew their involvement in another Showground precinct development as a result of rezoning controls.

The Showground’s 3,600 apartments will be accompanied by more than 7,000sq m of public open space, a 5000sq m public playing field, 7,234sq m of publicly accessible through-site links for pedestrians and cyclists, and 2,100sq m of pocket parks.

Three childcare centres, a digital room, community shared spaces, play and gym equipment, adaptable spaces for an aging population and precinct-wide free WiFi will be included in the development.

The proposal is a result of several years of consultation with NSW Planning and The Hills Shire Council.

“We are ready to build a world-class, architecturally superior development where families will want to live,” he said.

Chiha said he hopes to welcome new residents to the development around the time of the opening of Sydney metro, in late 2019.

The Showground now requires final local and state government approval for work to commence.