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Deputy Lord Mayor Zann Maxwell has proposed the City of Sydney sell their lease over the Goulburn Street car park in the CBD, so the state government can turn it into affordable housing for essential workers.
A motion was moved at a council meeting last month to ask the chief executive to consider offering the the lease to the government on “favourable terms”, opening discussions with Transport Asset Manager of NSW, which owns the site and the state’s rail assets), and Transport for NSW.
The City of Sydney is currently in a 99-year lease with TAM, that isn’t set to expire until September 2060.
A spokesperson from Transport for NSW said that they had no immediate plans for the site, but that it had the potential to deliver “well located” housing that could contribute to the state government’s housing targets.
Property and Development NSW offered the City of Sydney $75 million to buy out the lease of the parkling lot in 2018, but the offer was rejected- likely because the car park’s operation contributes $8 million in revenue annually.
Prime site for housing currently “lifeless”
“Chris Minns wants more residential development in the CBD, and his government is actively hunting for sites to build affordable housing for key workers—so I’ve served up a prime one, right in the heart of the city,” Maxwell told CityHub.
“I’m glad my Council motion to re-open negotiations is bringing the City and state government to the table—because leaving this prime site as a lifeless car park while essential workers are pushed out is a waste Sydney can’t afford.”
The train tracks running from Central Station at the base of the car park could make construction at the site complicated, as buildings have to be engineered to resist collapse in case it’s hit by a derailed train, however Maxwell said Transport has confirmed the car park could be demolished without affecting the rail corridor.
“Let’s make a deal,” Maxwell said. “This site must deliver affordable housing, and if that’s locked in, the City should be willing to negotiate a discount to turn dead space into something that truly serves Sydney.”
