Coogee Bay Hotel has submitted plans for a massive $111.7-million revamp that includes the construction of 60 apartments, a supermarket, and an eat-street section. The plan has drawn mixed reactions, with a group of residents launching a petition to Save Coogee Village from the planned development.
In the Save Coogee Village petition, Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill said that plans to build 60 new luxury home units with a mega car park could lead to over-development and exceed the building’s height standard for the area. The proposal could also see the residential buildings overshadowing the surrounding areas, including the famous Coogee amphitheater.
“We regard these plans as an atrocious overdevelopment of our seaside suburb and our iconic Coogee Beach precinct,” Ms O’Neill wrote. “The proposed redevelopment of the site would be of a size and scale that would change for the worse the cherished local and casual character of the area.”
As of press time, the petition has logged 382 signatures.
Highlights
- Coogee Bay Hotel submitted plans for a massive $111.7-million development to refurbish the hotel and add residential and retail sites.
- Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill launched a petition opposing the plans with nearly 400 signatures from members of the community.
- Cinc Hotels, which owns the site, said that the redevelopment was due as Coogee has evolved, especially in this pandemic.
However, Cinc Hotels manager Christopher Cheung said that the redevelopment is due after the hotel’s last major refurbishment 10 years ago. He said since Cinc Hotel bought the site in 1991, Coogee has evolved tremendously and the pandemic lockdowns have highlighted the need for a revamp of the 8,501-square metre site.
Under the plans (DA/437/2021) submitted to Randwick City Council, the mixed-use site will be divided into two sections, separating the hotel areas from the residential and retail areas.
The five-storey building housing the residential units will be a U-shape structure overlooking the swimming pool at the back of the hotel. A pedestrian link with an eat-street from Arden Street to Coogee Bay Road will be created, opening up to the retail and supermarket area.
In addition to the residential units, at least 10 new hotel rooms will be added to the building whilst 19 rooms will be refurbished, along with the bar and beer garden.
The proposal indicated that the “heritage components of the site and acknowledges the sense of identity Coogee Bay Hotel presents to the community, present and past.”
“The vision is to upgrade an existing heritage institution by providing opportunities and amenities for the community while enhancing the identity of the area.”
Coogee Bay Hotel was first built in 1855.
