THE University of Newcastle has begun working with state government planning officials on its proposed Honeysuckle city campus, releasing artwork to staff showing seven buildings on the now-vacant former railway site.
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But the new version of the university’s city expansion comes at the expense of a 2016 plan to build an innovation centre on the old TPI House site in King Street, with the centre now likely to go up at Worth Place at Honeysuckle.
The university has confirmed that the “innovation hub” and more facilities for the School of Creative Industries, which is already established at the NeW Space campus, will be the first cabs off the rank in what is shaping as a long-range project for the university.
University planners have developed a master plan for the Honeysuckle site, which will become public later in the year when it is put on public display by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment as part of the approvals process.
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The artwork showing seven buildings on the Honeysuckle site comes from the master plan, but they are artists’ impressions only and the eventual layout may be somewhat different by the time that building are approved on the site.
Under the rail corridor rezoning, which is expected to be formally gazetted in the coming weeks, the university would be able to build to eight or nine storeys on a site with a 30 metre height limit.
The university’s director of infrastructure, Brian Jones, said the university planning team had reached an important mark this week by asking the planning department to issue a set of Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements or SEARS for the Honeysuckle development.
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The university’s chief operating officer, Nat McGregor, said: “There is a shared optimism for the future of the city and our university is proud to play an important role.”
“As we approach the first anniversary of NeW Space, many of us here and in the community are reflecting on the difference the university’s presence has and will continue to make in the Newcastle CBD,” Mr McGregor said.
The state government describes SEARS as showing a proponent – in this case the university – what it must cover in the environmental statements it must lodge as part of the approvals process.
Mr Jones said the university’s overall development application under the state significant development regime was still “a number of weeks away”, but the university wanted to keep the community and its staff well informed.
“Honeysuckle is a master-planned development, which means that implementation will be phased according to long range objectives, planning and identification of funding sources for each stage of execution,” Mr Jones said.
“Our Honeysuckle plans are to develop the land for additional education, innovation and research facilities in the Newcastle CBD as a long-term strategic project for the university. “Work on the Honeysuckle campus will continue the great partnerships that exist between the university, the state government, Hunter Development Corporation, Newcastle City Council and our Hunter Innovation Project partners.”
Although the university statement did not refer to the 2016 King Street announcement, a university spokesperson confirmed that the project had been moved to Honeysuckle.
Under the new plan, the innovation hub and the School of Creative Industries will be “co-located within one building with broader benefit for the city and the region”.
“The former TPI House site is a strategic site for the university and forms part of its education precinct,” a spokesperson said.
“The university will now consider alternate uses for this site.”
The TPI House project was unveiled in September 2016 as a $17.8 million project with the then Baird government putting in $9.8 million from the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund. The rest of the money was to come from the innovation hub partners, including the university and the council.
A futuristic building on the site, opposite University House, was supposed to be finished by 2019.
The university’s interest in the 20,000-square metre Honeysuckle site was confirmed by Mr Baird in December 2016 during a visit to Newcastle. The site is understood to be in three parcels, with the university having bought one, and holding options on the other two. The university is understood to be close to finalising the purchase of the two blocks.