Developers queue up for White Bay Power Station
The future of Sydney’s White Bay Power Station is a step closer to being determined, with 13 developers battling for the right to lead the site’s transformation.
The 10ha tract of land at Rozelle, to the west of Sydney’s CBD, was thrown open to developers in October as part of a request for proposals process to establish the best use and design for the State-heritage listed power station and site, which has been touted as a potential “knowledge-intensive jobs hub”.
It forms a part of the 95ha Bays Precinct, which is being targeted under a 25-year plan to transform key Sydney Harbour locations including the Bays Market District, Glebe Island, Wentworth Park and the Rozelle Rail Yards.
NSW Government agency UrbanGrowth NSW today revealed it had received 13 proposals for the power station site, which will now be assessed before a recommendation is presented to the government in June.
UrbanGrowth NSW chief executive David Pitchford confirmed that there were both local and foreign developers vying for the right to develop the property.
White Bay Power Station sits on a 10ha site to the west of Sydney Harbour. Picture: Supplied
“We received domestic and international interest during the RFP, which has given industry the opportunity to engage early in this exciting process,” Pitchford told realcommercial.com.au.
“Industry involvement was marketed as an opportunity to be part of shaping Australia’s very own quantum harbour.”
Lendlease is understood to be among the developers to have expressed an interest in the site, which the government hopes will include 100,000sqm of commercial floorspace across the technology, education, health and creative sectors.
Pitchford says the White Bay Power Station development will boost Sydney’s claims as one of the world’s foremost knowledge centres.
“Sydney has an exciting future as the home of a diversified and internationally competitive knowledge sector and the White Bay Power Station has the potential to be its hub,” he says.
An artist’s impression of a potential design for the White Bay Power Station. Picture: Supplied.
“The White Bay Power Station has been earmarked as the global hub for high tech jobs and innovation and the RFP process provided organisations with the opportunity to demonstrate their vision and capability to transform this historic asset and its surrounds.”
“The proposals will now go through the process of evaluation and recommendations will be made to government in June 2016.”
The request for proposals covers both the development of the power station and a second site, split into two lots, which will be ancillary to the jobs precinct and form part of the Bays Waterfront Promenade and reserve.
Potential developers were asked to factor in community sentiment and government and expert views on what form the site’s development should take, as well as protecting and maintaining the building’s heritage.
White Bay Power Station was completed in 1917 and operated as a coal-fired station until it was decommissioned in 1983.
