Our News Blog

Will Major Development Be The End of Manly Village?

14/4/2016

This week Manly Council announced the winning tenderers for the long-drawn out Manly2015 process of the Oval Car Park and Whistler Street site.

Oval Car Park
The design and construction of a 500 space car park underneath a reinstated Manly Oval was awarded to Abergeldie for around $28m.

This is well within Council’s budget of $34m which was originally set aside for a 760 space car park. Many local experts still question whether $28m is a realistic budget given the complexities of the site – only time will tell.

Many questions still remain about the management of traffic in Sydney Road and the proposed use of a roundabout at Eustace Street. These issues will need to be addressed if RMS approval is to be gained.

The Save Manly Oval Alliance has vowed to continue to fight the car park proposal.

Whistler Street Site
The proposal for the Whistler Street site was a surprise, taking a new look at what could be done within the triangle space.

Winning design by Architects FJMT for Built Development Group & Athas Holdings. Looking back from Sydney Road/Market Place corner.

View of proposed 5th & 6th Level library with apartments and ground floor retail underneath.

Although KPMG’s original report stated that the Whistler Street car park site would be valued at around $16m, well-known Architects FJMT for Built Development Group & Athas Holdings, turned the design on its head producing an innovative approach that utilised the total site (Library & old car park) and offering Council a two-level library on the 5th & 6th floors, 50 car parking spaces (intended for disabled and 30 minute parking only) and a ‘theatre’ which in fact is two small 80 seat cinemas. Council will also receive a cash payment of $37m from the deal in exchange for a 99 year lease for both the car park and library sites.

Already dubbed ‘the glasshouse’ by locals because of the extensive use of glass in the design, the new development will include retail at ground level, sixty-eight apartments, commercial space and library, meeting spaces and council offices.

The General Manager of Manly Council said that work is expected to start on the oval car park in October this year and take about 12 months to complete.

Once operating the Whistler Street site will be redeveloped with a time-frame of 2 years to complete. During this time the Library will be re-located in temporary accommodation yet to be decided.

No opportunity has been provided by Council for Councillor or public feedback on the new Whistler Street plan. Let’s hope the developer has the sense to undertake community input before their Development Application is lodged.

Both projects will require the approval of the Joint Regional Planning Panel.

10 Comments

Bruce Webb

17/4/2016 10:05:56 am

ok, so now the fight needs to be taken to the JRPP. Complaints need to be lodged now as it is no good once the decision is made. They need to be made aware of how this whole debacle has been handled by this belligerent council.

Jim Mitchell

17/4/2016 12:27:01 pm

Looks like a really good outcome the ratepayers receive $37 mill and a new library enough to build the new car park under the oval with $12 mill left over perhaps to build a larger car park with an increased number of spaces so desperately need on the edge of town.

Irene Callahan

17/4/2016 12:51:31 pm

Re Oval Car Park: is it a fixed price contract and are all the necessary road-works included?

I don't think two 80 seat cinemas would by any stretch of the imagination adequately serve the local community.

Bob McLean

17/4/2016 03:50:14 pm

1) Sydney Rd is a bottleneck at busy times as it is before you entertain putting a 500 space carpark in the immediate vicinity. You wouldn't believe all 5 liberal councillors are too myopic to see this.
2) Who benefits - the ratepayers with added capital/maintainance costs,library users, oval users, tourists, community in general.

Lisle

17/4/2016 04:49:01 pm

Is Athas Holdings the same people who did the Rialto Lane Upgrade? I'ld be very careful if they are. For instance, no one thought the Peninsula complex was of any concern in their plans, so didn't bother to tell us. The Council's contractors jackhammered through one of our car park entrance slabs. They created a HOLE through to the Peninsula Manly Council Carpark below. Difficult for the General Manager to hide a hole. Also Peninsula residents were unable to use their carpark from January 11 until last week. Then the plan included moving loading zones to the Peninsula side of the lane without any consultation with us.. No one thought about the grease removal pipes from Le Galleria, or wondered what the louvres were for on the Peninsula building. (Ventilation for the Council carpark! Now we're waiting for a truck/vehicle to drive through a shop window because there are no gutters.
The General Manager doesn't seem to have much to say on the matter, but a member of his staff tells us we must have more respect for them! .

John Casey

18/4/2016 11:05:49 am

Its all getting a bit complex.Is an approach to the Land & Environment Court still the way to go?
The new library looks pretty swish: how about having that & a revamped Whistler St car park. My memory might be at fault here but I seem to remember that more levels on top of the existing car park would be structurally unsound? If so what about going down? Is there an underground water course flowing through there that would be a hazard to be confronted?
Isn't this one of the reasons we are opposed to the oval car park?

Candy Bingham

19/4/2016 11:40:23 am

You're right John it is complex! Given the Council is now leasing both the Whister street car park AND library site, the cash component is far greater ($37m). Therefore many are asking why can't a car park be built under the total site? It would be far less risky than under the Oval and provide more convenient parking. Certainly worth exploring.

I understand the Save Manly Oval Alliance is planning to take the matter to the Land & Enviroment Court if the Oval car park DA is successful.

Nicholas Mason link

18/4/2016 09:21:09 pm

Hi there guys,

Agree with much of whats on this website and would love to know more of what you guys do. I am a passionate Manly local and business owner here too. A major priority for me is making our beloved community Utopia on Earth. Correction, keeping it that.

Re the current revitalisation plans. From a financial point of view, it is expensive. Though at least they're doing something positive with the funds.

The current car park is ugly and old, as is the Library. Why are we against revitalising it and making it modern?
Currently its also an absolute eyesore.
Something like the library on Crown St, Surry Hills would make it a much for appealing space, to actually spend time in.
It creates a great culture as people actually enjoy spending time in somewhere nice.
Further, it creates more office space and shops for bespoke retail, whom can't afford the Corso. Almost like a locals area.

Also, what are the issues around building a carpark under the cricket/footy field?
Keeping the traffic out of main mainly and making that area in to a European style piazza, sounds amazing. Safe for the kids without cars whizzing by and all.

I'm curious as to why the negativity around these things?

19/4/2016 11:45:17 am

Good question John about why the negativity. Suggest you read the ongoing saga: http://www.goodformanly.com.au/latest-news/category/manly%202015%20plan#.VxWLVZN96gR

I believe this council has lost the trust of the community. Also this proposal is a new idea (and I agree has great merit). But it is nothing like anything that has been made public before. The car park was to be 760 spaces - it's now 500; the Whistler street car park site was to be leased - now its the car park and library site etc etc.

Dr Susan Steggall link

26/4/2016 03:06:42 pm

Looking at the futuristic impression of the replacement building to the Whistler St Carpark, the plans for a tree-less block on the Telstra site, not to mention the Manly Oval Car Park Folly, I am wondering what, exactly, does Manly Council see for the future of this seaside 'village' and its village green. Last week the writer of a letter protesting about the so-called improvements planned for Bondi asked, 'Do you want it to become another Chatswood?' A very astute comment.
I would like to share an international experience. The fishing village of St Tropez, on a peninsula in the south of France was spared the progress inflicted on neighbouring Mediterranean resorts such as St Raphael, which, once the railway was installed became high-rise holiday hell.
St T, at the end of its peninsula remains a village, sought after for its old-world charm (in spite of the huge pleasure yachts and other trappings of excess) and the picturesque-ness of its cobbled streets and alleyways. OK, in summer, the access road is often a traffic choked snarl but the locals want to keep it that way. When they had the chance to 'upgrade' and widen the road, the vote was a resounding 'no'. There are a couple of parking stations but nothing that has detracted from the fishing village of yesteryear. Would that the Council could resist the urge to destroy Manly's essentially village character.

Will Major Development Be The End of Manly Village?

Leave a Reply.

Author

Categories