Food and specialty shops, a tavern and a boutique hotel are included in plans for the new business park to be created on the Toyota site at Caringbah.
Building heights of up to 50 metres (15 storeys) are proposed in the area where the existing maximum is 16 metres (five storeys).
Aliro Group, which acquired the site in early 2020, has lodged a Planning Proposal to amend Sutherland Shire Local Environmental Plan 2015 to allow for the additional uses of 'tourist and visitor accommodation', 'pub', 'function centre', and 'shops', and to facilitate an increased maximum height from 16 metres to 50 metres.
The document says it is estimated up to 5460 workers will be employed on-site upon completion.
"Aliro Group's vision for the is to facilitate the development of a world class business park that provides a variety of building forms that cater for a range of employment types including industrial/ manufacturing, office, high-tech, filming, scientific and creative industries and distribution and warehousing among an activated ground plane," the Planning Proposal says.
"Critical to the success of a new employment precinct is the creation of a high-amenity and vibrant place that attracts tenants and employers to the area.
"Owing to the scale of the site, integration of convenience-based retail to serve the expectant and existing workforce of the Caringbah / Taren Point employment precinct, as well as strategically aligned tourist and visitor accommodation can be accommodated on the site while not undermining the primary employment role."
The Planning Proposal does not seek any change to the B7 Business Park zoning of the site or the maximum 1.5:1 Floor Space Ratio (FSR) development standard.
"The proposed amendment would facilitate a range of building forms that more appropriately aligns with the permissible FSR, as well as enabling some complementary land uses that are a critical success factor to the establishment of a new business park and under-supplied within the area," the document says.
The proposed land use:
Industrial: The existing huge warehouse is to be retained and extended with ancillary office space. Additional warehouse and industrial floor space are envisaged for the northern-most part of the site fronting the Woolooware Bay foreshore.
Office and business premises: There will be a significant amount of commercial and business premises floor space across the northern, eastern and central portions of the site.
Food & Beverage: A tavern and other specialty food and beverage uses are proposed along the eastern boundary fronting Solander Fields. This facility is seen as a meeting place for workers or nearby residents to gather or buy takeaway food. A ground floor market grocer is envisaged in the southern part.
Hotel: "The site has the potential for a boutique hotel to support the visitor economy in the area, supported by ground floor retail opportunities," the document says. The proposed location is be opposite the entrance, acting as a gateway to the site and defining the future character of the precinct.
Other elements of the proposal include:
LANDSCAPING AND PUBLIC DOMAIN: The proposal will maintain and build upon the existing landscaping across the site, retaining or transplanting 722 trees. While 151 trees are proposed for removal, the site will offset these by incorporating a further 422 trees, particularly around the Captain Cook Drive and Woolooware Bay Foreshore frontages to provide adequate landscape buffers to nearby residential and ecologically sensitive areas.
Further, the proposal will also consolidate surface car parking throughout the site into the lower levels of the proposed buildings. This will provide opportunities for increased planting with approximately 146 new trees in these locations (with a total proposed tree canopy cover of 91,723sqm), contributing to the urban tree canopy across the site and minimising urban heat island effects.
TRANSPORT AND ACCESS The proposal will maintain the three existing vehicular access points to the site, one from Captain Cook Drive via the roundabout intersection of Captain Cook Drive / Gannons Road and two from Endeavour Road. The access points off Endeavour Road will continue to service heavy goods vehicles, whereas the Captain Cook Drive access will be predominately for private vehicles. Further, the proposal will look to provide opportunities for improved access to public transport through additional public bus stops along Captain Cook Drive, along with a semi-public shuttle bus providing commuter transport from Caringbah Station to the site.
INFRASTRUCTURE: The proposal may require a potential signalised intersection of new Endeavour Road / Captain Cook Drive and Captain Cook Drive / Gannons Road. However, further detailed design and assessment of the required road infrastructure will form part of future detailed development applications and be informed by consultation with road and transport authorities.
