Hakoah set to submit DA
THE Hakoah Club is set to lodge its development application (DA) to transform White City “in the near future”.
Hakoah president George Farkas said the board took the view that the responsible approach was to resolve heritage issues facing the site – which the club bought in 2010 – before lodging its DA.
Last month, Hakoah reached an agreement with Woollahra Council on these issues and is now moving forward with its application.
“The DA will be submitted in the near future after further community consultation sessions,” Farkas told The AJN.
According to Farkas, the heritage issues are “very complex”, and had the potential to prevent the development of many of the proposed sporting facilities, particularly Hakoah’s proposed aquatic complex and indoor multipurpose sports centre.
“Heritage items have been identified and a heritage interpretation strategy for the site is being developed in agreement with council. This is a very significant milestone in the development of White City as a sporting, social, cultural and community centre,” he said.
Revealing concept plans to The AJN, Farkas said tennis would continue on the site and there would be a football field, childcare facilities, cafes, a gymnasium, facilities for yoga and Pilates, and communal facilities.
Farkas said Hakoah is starting community consultation with neighbours and interested parties, and said the project will “provide much-needed and outstanding facilities for our club and the broader community”.
Asked how the club proposes to get patrons back after shutting its Hall Street doors in 2009, Farkas said: “Hakoah, while providing facilities for its longstanding members, will cater for and attract young people who will comprise the future membership. Sport and recreational activities are the best vehicle to achieve that.”
He added: “It is important to understand all developments of this magnitude take time and need to comply with a myriad of local and state planning requirements. We are confident we will continue to work with the local community and council to build a development for the entire community to share.”
Farkas said a completion date for the project “will very much depend on how long it will take for the DA to be approved”.
EVAN ZLATKIS
The White City site.
comments