Sydney’s William Street has long been a dreary affair, but the thoroughfare may well become invigorated thanks to a development headed up by one of fjmtstudio’s most prominent designers.
A ten-storey, $160 million apartment complex located on the corner of William and Forbes Streets comprising 229 apartments could well prove to be the catalyst for other developers to take advantage of the opportunity William Street presents. Developed by Rebel Property Group and HSN, the precinct has been designed by Richard Francis-Jones, who has been involved in the creation of Surry Hills’ Neighbourhood Centre, UTS Central and the Darling Quarter.
Rebel Property’s Allen Linz likens the street to one of the world’s most famous avenues, and says its potential is there to be realised.
“Hopefully it can be a catalyst for a discussion and activity on William Street. I don’t think there’s anyone in Sydney who would say that’s not needed. It is, for want of a better analogy, our Champs-Élysées, and it certainly doesn’t look that way,” he says in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.
The development floated by the property groups will hold views of the city and subsequent harbour, with a retail and dining centre located on the ground and a rooftop garden. Many other developers may follow suit, with one potential concept floated being new social housing, arts and cultural infrastructure. Many pieces of land owned by the state government have sat idle since the construction of the Eastern Distributor that could become the scene of urban development.
A report released by the Committee for Sydney in regards to the future of Kings Cross says the street is a ‘boulevard of broken dreams’.
“Despite successive government efforts over several decades, including investing billions in three road tunnels, William Street has never lived up to its promise as a tree-lined, pedestrian friendly boulevard,” it reads.
“It is full of cars rat running to avoid the tunnels’ tolls, the amenity of the footpath is poor, and the streetscape lacks activation. It need not be like this.”
The Committee of Sydney says William Street is a ‘multi-lane traffic sewer’, and that the only cars on the avenue should be those heading to the eastern CBD. Traffic is a major issue on William Street, with the mitigation of traffic imperative to its growth.
Image: Supplied
