KOGARAH RSL Club has submitted plans to Kogarah Council to totally redevelop its site in partnership with Bluestone Capital Ventures.
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If approved, the 65-year-old building will be replaced with a 12-storey development comprising a state-of-the-art club with underground car park, a mixed-use commercial area and residential apartments. Construction is expected to cost $83 million.
Kogarah RSL Club general manager Grant Amer said financial stress had forced the club to look at other options to stay afloat and members had been consulted at every step. He said that after the initial consultation with members, the club advertised in 2012 for a developer through the tender process.
Fourteen developers applied.
‘‘We narrowed them down to four and took it to the board and we’ve been working with Bluestone for 18 months,’’ he said.
‘‘Basically, this will save the club.’’
Bluestone is also working with Sharkies Leagues Club at Cronulla to redevelop their 10-hectare landholding into a revitalised club with about 600 apartments and a 17,500-square-metre shopping centre.
Bluestone's managing director Ben Fairfax said the key pillars of the company's business philosophy were "integrating with the existing community".
"Clubs of all kinds, be they sporting groups, or service clubs like the RSL, face a real dilemma about their future viability and relevance," Mr Fairfax said.
"Our role is to assist them look at their options and find a way to ensure they have the environment that will sustain them well into the future."
Mr Fairfax said the development of the RSL site, designated by Kogarah Council as a "gateway" to the town centre, would set a new benchmark and stimulate further development.
The existing Wesley Mission training facilities would be included in the development but Kogarah RSL Youth Club, which uses Colvin Hall, would be relocated.
The development application is likely to be assessed on its merits and determined by the Joint Regional Planning Panel. It is not dependent on the outcome of Kogarah's proposed LEP changes. Under the New City Plan, which is still in discussion stage, the RSL is in a zone that allows buildings up to 39 metres high (12 storeys) and a floor-space ratio of 4:1.
The development application is on public exhibition until June 25.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
- The ground floor will include the RSL club (about 2000 square metres), residential lobbies, a pool and garden for residents.
- The 11 storeys above will comprise 220 apartments (eight studio, 94 one-bedroom, 108 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom) and a rooftop garden.
- There will be 240 car spaces for residential apartments, 60 for the RSL and 11 for Wesley Mission. Parking will also include space for 15 motorcycles, 112 bicycles and a loading dock. Access and parking will be from a single point on Blake Street.
- The RSL Youth Club will be relocated from Colvin Hall to a new venue.
■ Is the development right for this part of Kogarah?
