BY ALEX LEWIS
A proposal to redevelop a Glebe heritage site into a block of apartments has met a storm of opposition from nearby residents.
Under the plans, a 1983 office building currently used as the Bidura Children’s Court would be demolished to make way for a seven storey block of flats and a string of new town houses.
Just metres away from the proposed demolition are a pair of buildings dating back to the 1860s. While those buildings would be spared from the wrecking ball, residents are concerned they could be subject to collateral damage.
Jenna Reed Burns, who has lived in the area for 18 years, said the demolition of the Children’s Court building itself would be a loss to the area’s heritage.
“Part of the attraction of coming to live in Glebe was the historic streetscapes and heritage character of the area,” Ms Burns said.
The Brutalist-style office block is akin to the Sirius building at Millers Point, which under consideration for inclusion on the State Heritage Register.
“There are few examples of this important architectural idiom within the City of Sydney,” stated The 20th Century Heritage Society of NSW in one of the 174 submissions to the council.
“[The City of Sydney] has seen the attrition of many notable buildings of state and even national architectural significance that were designed and constructed during the second half of the twentieth century.”
Ms Burns added that surrounding dwellings would suffer overshadowing from the proposed apartment block.
“Some of the little houses on Ferry Road are supposed to be reduced to about three minutes or less of [direct] sunlight in the middle of winter, which is against the law,” Ms Burns said. “You’re supposed to get two hours by council standards.”
Ms Burns’ lodged a 1500 signature strong petition to City of Sydney last Monday, accusing the proposed seven storey development of going against local planning laws, which only allow buildings of up to five storeys on the site.
The 5550 square metre site on Glebe Point Road had been owned by the state government since 1920 but was sold to a pair of Chinese-born property developers in 2014 for $33 million.
New owner Lina Jin could not be reached by City Hub for comment but told Fairfax Media last year she wanted to keep the 19th century Blackett buildings and demolish the 1980s office block, a specimen of the polarising Brutalist style of architecture.
“It is not very appealing and we plan to build a more modern, nicer block of apartments for the area. We are locals too, and I want to make sure we build something respectful to the area,” Ms Jin said.
But the 1500 Glebe residents who signed Ms Burns’ petition disagreed.
“The 1983 Bidura Children’s Court building should be adapted and reused, not demolished,” the petition states.
The petition is expected to be tabled at council in June, when City of Sydney’s decision on the DA is due.
