By JASON GORDON and IAN KIRKWOOD
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NEW details of GPT’s Hunter Street mall development and the University of Newcastle’s city campus have been revealed by the state government.
Confirming revelations made by the Newcastle Herald last month, the government has exhibited plans to allow buildings of 19 storeys on the UrbanGrowth-GPT site fronting the Hunter Street Mall.
The NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure has released plans for a detailed overhaul of planning legislation which not only changes the game in the city centre, but also on the university campus site at Civic, and at Wickham in the city’s west.
The planning department confirmed that an area around the planned Wickham interchange is still seen as a future CBD but it has scaled back some of the height limits north of the railway line as they merge into the Wickham ‘‘village’’.
The department estimates that the plan will create 6000 additional homes and 10,000 new jobs in Newcastle’s CBD.
Under the umbrella of the Newcastle Urban Renewal Strategy, the department is proposing to lift building height limits right across the city site which is jointly owned by GPT and UrbanGrowth NSW.
Key features of the city centre proposal include:
* plans to allow a 19-storey residential building on the site of the old David Jones car park on the corner of King and Perkins streets;
* plans to allow a residential building of about 14 storeys on the corner of King and Newcomen streets;
* plans to allow a 15-storey residential building midway along Wolfe Street between King and Hunter streets;
* plans for an array of six-storey residential, commercial, retail and mixed-use buildings across the remainder of the site.
READ THE DOCUMENTS HERE: PART ONE, PART TWO and PART THREE
Among other changes proposed by the department, the university has been granted a larger floor space ratio on its site on the corner of Hunter and Auckland streets.
An area of Bolton Street which leads up to the courthouse will be rezoned to allow for buildings up to 10 storeys high.
Deputy director general of Planning and Infrastructure Stephen McIntyre said the plan represents an amendment to the proposal first mooted in 2012 and follows a public consultation period in which 420 submissions were received.
He said the biggest concerns raised during the community consultation period was around public transport.
“Combining urban renewal with public transport is smart planning for the future of Newcastle and we welcome the community’s feedback on this,’’ he said.
Mr McIntyre said the detailed plans would provide the planning footprint for the city centre for the next 20 years.
“These planning regulations will provide the community and the business sector with certainty about the future growth of the city centre.
“Once in place, development approval times will be improved as the city is provided with long-term planning controls.
“These plans allow capacity for an additional 10,000 jobs and 6000 homes to be created in the city centre by 2036 – homes and jobs that will be supported by new and renewed transport infrastructure.”
Community comment on the proposal is now being sought, with the department receiving submissions until April 4.
