A long-vacant block in the main street of Port Kembla could soon see a four-storey building, with a boarding house across two levels.
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The block at the northern end of the CBD strip has sat vacant for at least 17 years, with the new owner purchasing it for $750,000 in April 2021.
Plans for the site have been lodged with Wollongong City Council for the four-storey site, which will be a mixed use building.
The ground floor will be devoted to a commercial space, with a reception area and office.
The roof level will be a common open space with a communal kitchen, living and bathroom areas.
Fifteen car parking spaces will be located on the ground floor and basement, with the entrance via Wentworth Lane at the rear of the site.
The first and second storeys is where the boarding house component will go, with 26 single rooms and seven doubles proposed.
"The proposed mixed use, particularly the introduction of the boarding house use on the upper floors, will introduce much-needed housing supply and diversity to the local area," the statement of environmental effects said.
"The boarding house use will suit single and couple households at different stages of life, and provide a more affordable housing product to the market."
The plans stated the boarding house component would be used for affordable housing and be managed by a registered community housing provider.
The application stated the building has been decided to blend in with those already on Wentworth Street.
"The proposed new building on the subject site will have a front and rear elevation that draws on design elements from the Interwar Chicago-esque and Interwar Functionalist styles, which is sympathetic to the Interwar character of surrounding development on the west side of Wentworth Street," the statement of environmental effect said.
The development does not comply with a number of rules in the Wollongong Local Environment Plan.
Areas of the building exceed the 12-metre height limit and it has less than the 24-metre frontage required for mixed-use developments.
Variation requests have been lodged regarding the areas of non-compliance.
A traffic study claimed the development would add eight vehicle movements in the morning peak and five in the evening.
"During the weekday peak commuter periods will have no noticeable impact on the surrounding amenity and intersection performance," the traffic study stated.
"Intersection and road network capacity analysis is not sensitive to such minor changes in volumes and no impact is anticipated. "
The development application is on public exhibition until March 24.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
