The Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel is poised to review a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the Coogee Bay Hotel. The decision will determine the future of this iconic establishment and its surroundings.
On 30 April 2024, the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel will convene to deliberate on DA/437/2021 the proposed overhaul of the Coogee Bay Hotel.
This decision follows Randwick City Council’s approval of the project with specific conditions, focusing on demolishing existing structures in favour of a new three-storey hotel, a five-storey apartment building, and 11 new ground-level food and beverage tenancies.
In its meeting on 26 March 2024, the Council outlined several modifications to the proposal.
Key concerns addressed include reducing building heights, enhancing setbacks from Arden Street to preserve local flora, and including more affordable housing options. The council also advocated for measures to mitigate potential overshadowing and prevent the removal of the century-old Washington Palms, emphasising a balance between development and environmental preservation.
Photo Credit: Mark Christopher England/Facebook
These adjustments aim to mitigate potential overshadowing, preserve local heritage, and support community members who need affordable living solutions.
Amidst the ongoing deliberations about the redevelopment, the project has encountered strong community opposition, underscored by concerns over its environmental impact, potential loss of heritage, and fears that the new development could disrupt the area’s cherished low-key ambience and directly affect the availability of affordable housing in Coogee.
This ambitious project was introduced in 2021 and subsequently revised in 2023 and 2024. Constrained by a 1995 regulation that reduced allowable building heights, developers face challenges in modernising the site to its former stature.
As the planning panel’s decision looms, both sides of the debate remain entrenched, highlighting the delicate balance between growth and preservation in one of Sydney’s beloved coastal locales.
Published 6-April-2024
