Revised
plans for the University of Sydney’s new Business School at the Abercrombie
Precinct in Darlington have been submitted to the NSW Department of Planning
and Infrastructure. The plans are expected to go on public display on the
Department’s website within the next 2 weeks.
Over
the last few months, the University has consulted extensively with a wide range
of interested parties and has made a number of significant changes to the plans
as a result of those discussions and feedback.
Features
of the revised plans include a reduction of the overall bulk and scale of the
proposal and a significant setback from Codrington Street and from the
Darlington Public School, a major reduction in overshadowing, an increase in
green space public access and an emphasis on pedestrian safety.
Project
Director for the Abercrombie project, Mr Cris Johansen said the University
welcomed the feedback it had received from the community and from groups such
as REDwatch and RAIDD, as well as the constructive discussions held with the
Darlington Public School, the Department of Education, the City of Sydney and
the Department of Planning.
“The
University listened carefully to the community and other groups and with their
involvement we developed a set of principles to guide the new development,” he
said.
The key
principles of the project are to reducing the overall bulk and scale of the
original proposal, significantly increasing setbacks to Codrington Street and
Darlington Public School, increase pedestrian access throughout the
development, integrating the joinery workshop building to keep a meaningful
heritage connection to previous uses of the site, and maintaining the large
Sydney Blue Gum tree as a key part of the landscape strategy.
The
new plan provides for an underground car park for 82 vehicles, which will
replace the existing car spaces in the area. The entrance on Abercrombie St has
been moved away from the school, and will allow for service deliveries to be
made to and from the building.
“We
have been concerned to make this a safe area for school children and other
pedestrians,” said Cris Johansen. The plans include a new safe school
drop off zone, a path across the site to the school which avoids the entry to
the car park and fewer car spaces within the site than originally proposed to
further reduce the number of car movements in and out of the precinct.
Complete
details of the plans can be found at: http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=search&page_id=&search=abercrombie&authority_id=&search_site_type_id=&reference_table=&status_id=&decider=&from_date=&to_date=&x=0&y=0
In a subsequent email update from Project Director Cris Johansen he advised that:
A model of the proposed
development will be on display in the foyer of the University’s Services
Building at 22 Codrington Street during the exhibition period. The University
will also be hosting a community information day at Eveleigh Markets over the
coming weeks.
For general queries about the
Abercrombie Precinct proposal please contact the project team on 9114 0523 or
email abercrombie.precinct@sydney.edu.au