The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission today rejected casino operator The Star Entertainment Group’s plan for a A$500 million tower adjoining its existing hotel-casino in Pyrmont, Sydney. The mega-project was also stubbed by the NSW Planning Department over the summer.
The three-member commission said today that the proposed 66-story tower would “result in unacceptable built form, including a tower of a height which is overly obtrusive and that will result in unreasonable and unacceptable impacts with respect to view loss, visual impact, and overshadowing.”
The commission’s review was very similar to that of the Planning Department from earlier this year. That first review read that The Star’s planned tower would “result in unacceptable visual impacts due to its scale, isolation and visual dominance of the existing Pyrmont character.”
The Star lodged its plan for a new tower at its existing The Star Sydney casino resort in Pyrmont in the summer of 2018. The proposal included the development of a 237-meter, 66-story tower that would house 220 Ritz-Carlton hotel rooms and 200 high-end residences as well as a rooftop pool area with views of the Sydney Harbour and 15 new food and beverage outlets, among other facilities.
The addition of a Ritz-Carlton hotel at the proposed tower would mark the return of the popular hospitality brand to Sydney after its decade-long absence from the local market.
The tower with its luxury accommodation aimed to compete with rival Crown Resorts’ luxury hotel and casino resort currently under development in Sydney’s Barangaroo suburb. At present, The Star operates the city’s only casino, but the opening of Crown’s complex would put an end to its long-time monopoly.
The Star Could Challenge Planning Commission’s Decision
The Independent Planning Commission’s decision to reject The Star’s project has paved the way for possible legal action from the company. A spokesperson for the casino operator said today that they are “still digesting the full findings before we announce next steps.” The company can appeal today’s decision in the NSW Land and Environment Court.
The Star spokesperson said that they wanted to spend more than half a billion “on helping NSW drive tourism” and that the project would create around 1,000 jobs and deliver significant other economic benefits.
More than 25 submissions against The Star’s project were filed after it was referred to the Independent Planning Commission in June. The proposal also included a library, neighborhood center, and function spaces.
Commenting on the commission’s negative ruling, NSW Planning Minister, Rob Stokes, said that he was pleased that a decision was finally made and that “the door’s not closed to a new hotel and apartment tower in Pyrmont.”
Minister Stokes added that Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s administration is working “on a bold new masterplan for Pyrmont” that would make the area the city’s next “entertainment and innovation hub.”
The Planning Minister also pointed out that they would allow The Star to take part in that new masterplan “to ensure any new development is delivered as part of a strategic plan for a revitalised peninsula.”
Source: The Star’s $530 million Pyrmont casino tower rejected, The Sydney Morning Herald
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