Sydney’s city council wants to know why Crown Resorts wants to build the “landmark tower” of its hotel, casino and residential project on land that’s originally allotted for parkland.
A Casino News Daily report quoted members of the council who said the proposed Crown Resorts project is already at risk of turning into a “symbol of inequality” in the central part of the city.
In the middle of the fracas is a waterfront parkland that will be relocated near the tall residential towers of Crown Resorts’ $1.4 billion Barangaroo casino project in the city. According to the city council, this is already a deliberate move to show that customers of the future gambling venue are more important than the park being situated there.
City officials also took a jab at the luxury residential options of the project that targets well-to-do buyers, saying that the developers’ failure to add one-bedroom or studio units could lead to the project turning into a “symbol of inequality” in the central business district.
In addition, city officials also pointed out that relocating the parkland will result in “tighter fixed path” for cyclists and pedestrians, and that the 610 parking spaces are a bit extensive considering that a huge investment will be made to build the public transport network in the area.
Lend Lease said “the success of the network of open spaces planned for the precinct will be determined by its diversity rather than by the fact that it will be at times overshadowed by Crown Resorts’ tower,” according to the report.
Last May, developer Lend Lease signed off on a $1 billion deal to build Crown Resorts’ casino project at Sydney’s Barangaroo South, News.com.au reported.
The Barangaroo South first tower and hotel is expected to be completed in 2019.
The hotel was approved in 2010 to be built at the harbor, but Lend Lease presented a new concept that calls for the hotel to be brought back into land and expanded in size.
