Kensington could soon have a 601-room student housing block stretching from 177 to 197 Anzac Parade if the development application for Uni Lodge receives approval from Randwick City Council.
The project from Cedar Pacific and NettletonTribe (DA/20/2021) proposes the construction of a 10-storey dormitory, which will occupy 24 privately-owned lots to make 4,000 square metres of space for university housing.
If approved, Uni Lodge will have the following features:
- basement parking for 12 cars for the staff
- bicycle and motorbike parking areas
- administrative offices, service areas and communal spaces in the ground floor
- 601 diverse rooms and 666 student beds
- group rooms with its own kitchen, living room and bathroom
- study rooms overlooking the courtyard
- rooftop garden
The development will form part of the Kensington and Kingsford Town Centres (K2K) Planning Strategy, which took effect in November 2020 after four years of deliberation.
Cedar Pacific was able to raise $90 million to fund this student block.
Once Council signs on, the demolition of existing buildings in the area will be underway. This means that a Chinese restaurant and appliance store will have to find new locations whilst residents of a three-storey apartment and a duplex complex will also need to move out.
“The site currently contains five existing buildings of older stock with many buildings in need of replacement,” the proposal cited. “The proposal advances the social objectives of providing affordable and convenient housing options for students in close proximity to educational establishments. This increase in student housing supply will also assist in the availability (and affordability) of housing stock in the broader area, thereby providing a broader social and economic benefit.”
Uni Lodge will stand next to the heritage-listed Masonic Temple and near the Kensington Town Centre, the University of New South Wales and the South-East Light Rail.