Golden Century site owner Anson Group to build $104m 16-storey hotel

Anson has received approval for a $104m hotel at 136 Hay Street, Haymarket

The developer who picked up the site of Sydney institution Golden Century for $50m has won approval for a $104m high-rise hotel just 450m away.

Anson Group’s new 16-storey hotel project will rise beside Capitol Square light rail stop at 136 Hay Street, Haymarket.

The developer has received approval for a joint design by BVN and Architectus, which pays some respect to some of the earliest buildings in Haymarket and Chinatown.

That includes six storeys of brick which was to keep in line with Capitol Theatre, which also has a brick base, and many of the older buildings in the area, said Phillip Rossington, director at BVN.

The site also includes a new laneway between it and the next door sub station. “That also gives a view from Campbell Street through to Belmore Park so it breaks up the city,” Mr Rossington said, adding that, “it’s very hard in the city now to even get a drop off for a hotel because of quite good controls that don’t want to break the footpath”.

When plans for the building were first drawn up, they had included a swimming pool which had since been taken away. Ditching pools for venues that cater for the broader community was part of a larger trend in the hotel market, Mr Rossington said.

Anson has received approval for a $104m hotel at 136 Hay Street, Haymarket

“Most of hotels are wanting to offer things to the whole city, not to just to their guests. In fact, 136, Hay Street, had a swimming pool on the Terrace at one point in developmen. That was taken away to make more provision for food and beverage,” he said.

Architectus principal Tim Moore said designing a building by a park was no easy task, with the new hotel’s wedge shape having been developed to provide a sun access plane.

To make up for lost space, the building will instead include four basement levels with a supermarket approved for those floors, said Architectus senior associate Jonathan Archibald.

The view from Pitt Street.

“With that came it’s own challenges as the site’s above the railway line so there was some pretty close consultation with councillors and Sydney Trains to really resolve that,” he said.

Campbell Street in general and Capitol Theatre are also set to benefit from a $43.5m City of Sydney upgrade.

Campbell Street is one of three streets where side walks will be extended to allow for more outdoor seating and dining and more trees will be planted.

Vehicle access to Campbell Street will be removed entirely and parking on the corner of Campbell St and Castlereagh Street will be replaced with trees under the plan.

Vehicle access would also be removed and be replaced with new bike lanes connecting Campbell St to George St – part of a large push to limit vehicle access in the CBD and replace it with bike lanes, public transport and walking space.

Those bike lanes would effectively be built through to Forrest Lodge via new lanes added to busy Parramatta road. Other bike paths will Forrest Lodge’s neighbouring suburb Annandale to Pyrmont.