Newcastle University Honeysuckle Masterplan
- By Peter Gordon
- •
- 19 Jun, 2019
Newcastle University is pressing forward with plans to expand its education offering with a half-billion-dollar development pipeline quickly taking shape.
The university submitted a masterplan to the NSW Department of Planning in June last year across two hectares in Honeysuckle, which it acquired from the government in 2017. The masterplan includes seven buildings in a staged development over 10 years.
Last week the university submitted a development application for stage one of its $95 million creative industries and innovation hub in the city's central business district, following the successful delivery and opening of the $100 million law and business faculty building.
The four-storey building, situated on the corner of Worth Place and Honeysuckle Drive, is the first development on three adjoining parcels of land fronting Honeysuckle Drive and on the former heavy rail corridor. The building will house two groups, the Hunter Innovation Project Innovation Hub and the School of Creative Industries catering to entrepreneurs, start-ups, developers, technical specialists, business advisors, students and researchers.
The Innovation Hub, designed by local Newcastle architects EJE, features a distinctive cross-laminated timber frame, the first of its kind in the city. The state government has backed the Stage 1A building, allocating $4.84 million in Restart NSW funds for the innovation hub, as part of the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund.
The NSW Independent Planning Commission will assess the proposal as a state-significant development. If approved, construction is set to commence on the site within a matter of months, with the completion date set for late 2020.
The university has been bullish with its expansion plans after successfully completing the $95 million NeW Space building in central Newcastle and raising funds for the medical school and research institute in Gosford which is under construction and set to open in 2020.
There are also plans for a $149 million Gosford campus for the university.
On the supply side, Urban Taskforce's Chris Johnson said the continued investment in education would help reactivate the historic centre of Newcastle and bolster its economy. “The new law school has already shown how innovative architecture located adjacent to the light rail line adds important activation to the CBD.” “While activating Newcastle’s centre is significant it is also important to ensure that the suburban areas also have new job and educational opportunities and it seems that the university is getting the balance right.”
The university also has plans in the pipeline for a $200 million expansion program for STEM faculties, funded entirely by the university.
The new faculty building will be located on the university's main campus in Callaghan, north west of the city centre.
Article courtesy The Urban Developer 18/6/19
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