Give Waterside development the green light! Posted on October 9, 2018
If you haven’t already heard… a $180 million development plan has been proposed for the old Froggy’s site in Mann St, Gosford. The L-shaped block will stretch through to Baker St and Georgiana Tce, and comprises three graduating towers with residential units, hotel rooms, retail outlets, restaurants and an open-plan walk-through area connecting the city centre to the Gosford waterfront.
We, at Robson Partners, have been particularly vocal in our support of the redevelopment of the old Froggy’s site. As residents of Gosford for the past 25 years, Robson Partners are naturally supportive of any development which would benefit local businesses, and residents, and help revitalise our city. Which is why we have started a petition at change.org to ‘give Waterside development the green light’…
‘Waterside” is a $180 million proposal by Chinese businessman, Mr Jian Wang and a company called New Hong Kong Macau Australia Pty Ltd. Mr Wang moved his family to Sydney five years ago after his son Jun enrolled at UTS. After several small ventures in Sydney, Mr Wang decided on Gosford as the ideal development site. He intends to make the Central Coast his permanent home.
“I felt there was a great deal of potential to invest in Gosford,” he said through an interpreter. “The area is under developed in that there is a high demand for apartments and the infrastructure is already in place. It is the perfect location with its beautiful waterway and major facilities close at hand. It has everything from water and trees to mountains and beaches nearby – that is why so many people want to relocate here.”
Mr Wang’s vision is for a residential, retail, office and hotel showpiece development, which will be the first thing visitors see as they approach Gosford from the Brian McGowan Bridge.
Mr Wang said he was committed to the future of the Central Coast region and had used all local companies in the planning stages, with local tradesmen to be used as much as possible in construction, providing a welcome boost to employment.
The Froggy’s site has had a chequered past. Unused since 2002 after it ceased operations, it has been the subject of several unsuccessful development attempts and at one stage was unofficially used by the homeless. At one point Gosford Council considered buying the site itself but since 2006 it has remained a scar on the cityscape.
Mr Caine King, director of CKDS Architecture, the East Gosford architectural firm that is designing the Waterside concept for Mr Wang said he is currently working with Gosford Council to ensure the development application will be well received by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) which is responsible for approving developments with a capital investment value over $20 million.
He explained he is hoping that a strong response to the change.org petition will help the developer’s case with both Gosford Council and the JRPP, however, the current design concept may need to be reworked because New Hong Kong Macau Australia Pty Ltd had not been shortlisted to develop the new home for the Australian Taxation Office in Gosford, as promised by the Federal Government.
In a bid to help revitalise our city, we are calling on all residents of the Central Coast to get behind this initiative and show their support by signing this petition. Your voice will make a huge difference and hope you support it with us!
