FINAL planning approval for the $207 million development of Sydney’s Walsh Bay Art Precinct has been granted, following a detour through the NSW Court of Appeal and subsequent design changes.
Shore 4/5 and Wharf 4/5, adjacent to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, will comprise upgraded performance and production space for arts institutions including the Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australian Theatre for Young People and the Sydney Philharmonia Choir.
The works will also see The Australian Chamber Orchestra and Bell Shakespeare Company move to Pier 2/3.
Local restaurateur Brigid Kennedy, who is head of Walsh Bay Chamber of Commerce and whose Simmer on the Bay is just metres from the development, challenged the project on the grounds is had not been lawfully approved, while a number of amendments around transport, congestion and sound had also been made as a result.
Works on the project will begin from July, one year behind schedule following the legal challenge and planning adjustments, with completion expected in 2020.
The Court of Appeal had determined invalid the planning consent given in 2015.
Australian Property Journal
