The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has announced the approval of one of the state's largest built-to-rent (BTR) schemes to date, known as The Timberyards, in Sydney's Marrickville.
The proposal is set to transform a 2.2-hectare former industrial site at the corner of Sydenham Road and Victoria Road into a new neighbourhood, with 474 BTR apartments, 115 infill affordable apartments, 577 co-living dwellings, 1,425 square metres of retail floor space and over 10,700 square metres of landscaped open space for residents and the public.
A collaborative team has been involved in the design of the project, including Architecture AND, Tribe Studio and Turner, together leading architectural design; Matthew Pullinger Architect as urban designer; Aileen Sage leading public domain and public art strategy; Yerrabingin on Connecting with Country; and Arcadia as landscape architect.
The approved development includes seven buildings, ranging from five to 14 storeys high, housing studios through to four-bedroom apartments. A 24-metre-wide active thoroughfare, running through the centre of the site and an existing warehouse structure called Warehouse Place, is intended to form a central spine and entry to the site via a gateway opposite Wicks Park. The spine also connects to community artist studios, a communal room and various pocket parks and community gardens, including a large courtyard called Timberyard Commons.
The state significant development was referred to the commission late last year after having received 225 public submissions, 176 of which were objections, while the proposal was on exhibition in March. The majority of the 37 submissions made to the commission were also objections. According to the IPC's report, the development's approval is based on its contribution to the delivery of 377,000 well-located homes required by mid-2029 under the state's share of the National Housing Accord target.
A staged construction plan will see the project built with three separate precincts, beginning with a pair of northernmost buildings at the rear of the site and ending with a cluster of three buildings in the western corner.
The project is expected to welcome its first residents in 2028.
