Nine storey shop top housing complex aimed at boomer market
LOS ANGELES: Plans to bulldoze a coastal car dealership and replace it with a towering five to nine-storey shop-top housing complex worth an estimated $46m have been unveiled — despite the proposal skyrocketing past local height limits.
The plans for 91 Campbell St, Moruya — a south coast town 30km south of Batemans Bay with a population of about 4000 — were revealed by landowner Allen Rutherford at a recent business chamber meeting.
Dubbed “Swan Place”, the proposal would replace the existing Eurobodalla Toyota with multiple buildings housing 66 apartments, retail and dining spaces, and a communal area for the historic town.
Artist impressions show a nine-storey tower, exceeding Moruya’s two-storey height limit by more than 20m.
Despite this, Mr Rutherford said in a statement the proposal was not viable without keeping the height limits.
He also said it had taken four years to reach this stage.
A development application has not yet been lodged, but Mr Rutherford and the developers have met with Eurobodalla Council to argue for changes to the height limits.
The project must still go through several steps before a DA can be submitted, including refining the design, preparing the proposal and conducting community consultation.
The design — by Brisbane-based architect Steven Bayer — was presented at the Moruya Business Chamber meeting.
It features a 1500 sqm ground-floor business and dining precinct, 24 serviced apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms, 66 shop-top dwellings, penthouses, 160 parking spaces and communal open space.
During the presentation, it was heard Mr Bayer aimed to retain Moruya’s historic character in the design.
Mr Rutherford said if the next steps proceed as planned, a development application could be lodged within 18 months.