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New plans submitted for Coogee Bay Hotel redevelopment proposal

Published Date

30/03/2023

News Topic

Planning & Development

Revised plans for an $111 million redevelopment of the iconic Coogee Bay Hotel are on public exhibition from today, 30 March 2023 for community comment.

The initial plans lodged in 2021 to demolish significant parts of the current hotel and build a new six-storey apartment building received significant concern from local residents and Randwick City Council.

The applicant appealed the matter to the Land & Environment Court on 12 November 2021 and it has been in ongoing discussion in court since this time. On 23 March 2023, the LEC granted permission for the applicant to lodge amended plans.

Key amendments to the proposal are:

• Building heights reduced from a maximum of 23.33m to 21.35m.
• Reduction in floor space ratio from 1.79:1 to 1.59:1.
• Amendments to the building mass to retain view lines to key landforms including Wedding Cake Island, Dolphin Point and the northern headland of Coogee Beach.
• Reduction in basement excavation by two levels.
• Increased building setback to the southern boundary and accommodation of deep soil planting and additional communal open space.
• Removal of the ground level supermarket tenancy and provision of residential apartments to the street frontage of Vicar Street.
• Increased retention to four heritage building facades along Coogee Bay Road.
• Internal reconfiguration of pub building, hotel and all residential apartments.
• Inclusion of a three-storey building to the southern side of the beer garden. Provision of the car park entry from Arden Street only and removing the car park entrance from Vicar Street.
• Changes to the colour and materials used on the retail tenancies fronting Coogee Bay Road to respond to the character of this streetscape.

The new proposal would result in the demolition of a number of existing buildings and structures on site but the hotel and majority of the Coogee Bay Road facade and beer garden would remain.

Internal works would see the hotel accommodation expanded including 32 new or upgraded hotel rooms and the internal hotels areas reconfigured.

A new three storey southern hotel wing south of the beer garden and driveway access will incorporate hotel accommodation including 15 hotel rooms.

The existing beer garden area will be upgraded including the construction of a new dining pavilions.

Eleven new retail tenancies (i.e. café, shop, restaurant, etc) would be created fronting a ground floor eat street precinct and Coogee Bay Road.

Fifty-eight new apartments would be built in a five-storey development with ground floor retail tenancies.

A new public laneway would run from Coogee Bay Road to Arden Street creating a through link.

The amended plans and documents are on public exhibition until 1 May 2023.

A detailed assessment of the amended documentation is currently being undertaken by Randwick Council’s external planning consultants.

Feedback from the community will be carefully considered as part of the Court proceedings.

The full details of the application including the amended architectural plans and other relevant documents as well as how to make a submission, can be found on Council’s website. (DA number DA/437/2021)