35-37 Harrington Street, The Rocks
CLIENT: Essence Project Management, on behalf of Far East Organisation
SECTOR: Urban Development
REGION: The Rocks, NSW
The Rocks project (35-37 Harrington Street) involves the demolition of the existing 'Clocktower Square' building, and construction of a new high-quality hotel with over 200 rooms. In addition to the hotel complex, the development will include associated food, beverage, and retail tenancies. The project location is a complex urban environment with a rich history and built heritage, iconic views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and a mix of tourist and resident use. The project is part of a State Significant Development Application and is one of the few new developments proposed within The Rocks Precinct due to various planning and heritage constraints.
OUR INVOLVEMENT: Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Community and Stakeholder Engagement and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Umwelt’s Social Team was engaged to conduct both primary and secondary research to inform the SIA and CPTED. The team engaged with various stakeholder groups, including residents and emergency services providers, such as Police NSW, for the CPTED assessment.
The recommendations emphasised that the Project should reflect the local area's character and offer relevant food, beverage, and retail options to meet community needs. Key assessment issues important to stakeholders included traffic, noise, and safety, with engagement providing an opportunity to influence project design to address these social impacts.
OUTCOME:
The Project was delivered on time and budget and approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Housing in July 2024. Umwelt successfully provided a comprehensive SIA and CPTED report tailored to Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s specific Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements. This included guidance on several key areas:
- Future engagement activities, approaches, and complaint management
- Recommendations for ground floor activation, including principles for curation
- Design and safety suggestions
- A holistic approach to managing anti-social behaviour, particularly across multiple venues serving alcohol, to prevent the displacement of such behaviour to other areas of the Precinct