Houses have been tumbling down with the start of work on the $165 million, eight-storey Palisade apartment development on Kingsway at Miranda.
The project, comprising 197 two and three bedroom apartments in two towers, is expected to be completed in early 2019.
It is the first resort-style development in the shire since Cote D'Azur and Sur Mer (Northies) were built at Cronulla in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Developer Galileo said Palisade had been “phenomenally successful”, with stage one sold and stage two largely sold.
Sutherland Shire building firm Duffy Kennedy was awarded the tender for the project and its team has been overseeing demolition work.
The company is also building the Artiste Gymea development on Kingsway and Union Place on the former Jannali Inn site.
The six-storey Artiste Gymea development, which comprises 38 apartments above ground floor commercial, is expected to be completed at the end of this year.
Union Place, which will include 89 apartments in two seven-storey towers, with a tavern at ground level, is due to be completed by the middle of next year.
Duffy Kennedy has also been awarded the building contract for Lunar, a large new apartment development in Mitchell Avenue, Jannali, where work is expected to start next year.
Fourteen houses are being demolished to make way for the Palisade development, which will occupy the eastern side of University Road from Kingsway to the railway line.
Duffy Kennedy founder and owner Gavin Duffy said the building activity had created many jobs.
Mr Duffy said his firm employed more than 75 people, of whom about 80 per cent lived in the shire.
”Sub contractors come from various areas,” he said.
“At the peak of the [Palisade] job, there will be more than 200 people on the site each day.”.
Mr Duffy said Galileo was “a very strong brand name and they have built some outstanding projects in the city and Chatswood”.
“They are a very competent and professional outfit,” he said.
“We have the same view of the world, which is caring about the outcome for buyers.”
Mr Duffy said his company’s previous major projects had been Gusto at Rosebery, Pier 99 at Pyrmont and Evolv at Mascot.
”We are seeing with Palisade the first roll-out from the shire’s new LEP (local environmental plan), and that will continue for a while.
”There are a few large projects in the University Road and Pinnacle Street area [which was rezoned a high-rise precinct in the LEP}.
“The whole landscape will change over the next few years.”
Mr Duffy said, while there were many new apartments coming on to the market, the supply would not be endless.
“From what I am hearing, there is not a lot of back-up after these projects are completed,” he said.
“I think there will be a shortage after that.
”Jobs are all based on pre-sales, and bank funding is very difficult for developers because of new controls.
”It comes down to the strength of the contractor and the strength of the developer.”
Mr Duffy doubts whether the Caringbah medical precinct, where bonus building heights and floor space ratios are available when apartments are built above medical facilities – will provide many developments.
He said it was “an excellent concept”, but questioned how many medical businesses would set up there.
”From what I am hearing, the villages of Gymea, Jannali and Miranda are better locations [for development].”
Mr Duffy said he believed future development in the shire depended on the F6 extension being built.
