A Wollongong RSL club will be demolished to make way for a $229-million redevelopment after the project to reshape a prominent corner of the city’s CBD was approved.
The Globe precinct redevelopment won the green light from the Southern Regional Planning Panel to replace the City Diggers Club and old David Jones building, bounded by Crown Street Mall, Church Street and Burelli Street.
The approval allows the developers to move forward with plans for a large-scale mixed-use development on the 5400sq m site.
The project involves the construction of a 15-storey, five-star hotel with 236 rooms, an eight-storey office building with more than 8300sq m of commercial space, and a six-storey club and motel to replace the Diggers Club.
The motel would comprise 114 rooms and be operated by the Wollongong Golf Club, the former full owners of Diggers.
Developers indicated the hotel could be affiliated with an internationally recognised brand, although no formal partnership had been announced.
The site had long been considered a strategic location in the heart of the city, and was previously a David Jones department store, which closed in 2014.
Since that time the corner site has been seen as underutilised. The Diggers Club was earmarked for redevelopment after it amalgamated with Wollongong Golf Club in 2021.
The project, known as The Globe, was proposed by a development consortium led by Cre8tive Hotels & Lifestyle and Wollongong Golf Club.
The design was led by ADM Architects, a Wollongong-based firm, alongside Sydney-based Jackson Teece.
The development will also include a rooftop pool and a publicly accessible bar. to be known as Sky Bar, with views over the city and coast.
A key feature of the proposal was the creation of new pedestrian links and upgrades to Globe Lane and Globe Way.
The development team promoted the project as a way to improve connectivity between Crown Street Mall and MacCabe Park.
Plans include new laneways and public spaces designed to encourage foot traffic and support existing retail and hospitality businesses.
The development will also feature six levels of basement parking, providing 567 spaces, including 130 with fast-charging electric-vehicle stations.
The Southern Regional Planning Panel’s decision followed extensive consultation and design to address concerns about building mass, solar access and pedestrian movement through the site.
According to the panel’s published decision, the proposal aligned with the city’s strategic vision for urban renewal and economic activation in the CBD.
Developers indicated demolition works, including the removal of the Diggers Club building and sections of the former David Jones structure, would begin soon.
Economic projections suggested the development could generate more than 1100 full-time equivalent jobs during construction and 472 ongoing jobs once operational.
Analysis estimated visitor expenditure driven by the hotel and club facilities could inject up to $30 million a year into the local economy, with $15 million expected in retail spending, $10 million in food and beverage and $5 million in accommodation.
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