G O S F O R D R E V I TA L I S AT I O N R E P O R T
Artist’s impression of Leagues Club Park Gosford KIBBLE PARK – Is a place in Gosford, identified consistently by the community as the heart of the city. Geographically it is in the centre of Gosford located adjacent to Mann St connected through William St Plaza and it is close to Gosford Station. As the only significant open space in the centre, the area has the potential to operate at a scale that can make it a regional destination. It is a central meeting place that brings the character of the bushland reserves into the heart of the city. The park has a significant amount of public and private development commencing around it bringing, residents and new commercial space. Many important regional functions are focusing on this civic heart, including the new regional library, local courts and government services. Significant private developments are also underway in this place, including Bonython Tower under construction, the Imperial Centre development, and other investments along Mann Street. It is also adjacent to the main regional shopping facility of the Imperial Centre. By concentrating investment in this place, there is the possibility to create both a moment of green relief and a place of civic and commercial intensity in the heart of the city. City North – Health and Education Precinct City North is seen as an area of opportunity for Gosford. Health and education uses can form the basis for an innovation district and make the most of the Government’s investment in the hospital to revitalise the City.
Gosford Hospital development in the City North is a major investment in the future of Gosford, and will be a catalyst for investment in the regional capital. Connecting the hospital back into the city is key to enable Gosford to build on this investment and promote the co-location of a range of associated uses to revitalise the area. A range of important regional services, including education and health facilities, are located to the north of Gosford’s civic heart and station, as well as significant open space and recreational assets. Although within walking distance, they are poorly connected with the centre due to the barrier of the railway corridor and the less developed pedestrian environment of the streets. With improved connections, the City North is an area of great opportunity for Gosford. The varied lot size will support a range of development types and a diversity of uses, with public and private investment and support for quality public domain outcomes, it is possible to create a place with a distinct identity in Gosford. The City North can build on existing education assets by investigating the potential for an expansion of TAFE, and increased university presence associated with the hospital, the Central Coast Medical School and Medical Research Institute. City North has the potential to support a diverse range of development and housing. The area can also support the growth of a range of housing types suited to an increase in population generally and more specifically to the health sector workforce. The potential growth of student housing, as well as new models of aged living can bring
a diverse population to the City North area. However, the City North area presents four challenges: which include the rail corridor, the station, the inward focus of the hospital and its separation from Mann Street, lack of connectivity to the civic heart of the city and poor public domain. City South - Leagues Club field and water edge This report specifically does not address or examine Gosford’s waterfront. Focus in the short term should be on where investment and change is occurring in the city and where building momentum for improvements can be supported and implemented efficiently and effectively. Once the Civic Centre is revitalised; the hospital is completed and better connected to the city; Mann St is improved; and the investment in jobs and growth in the south is leveraged; collectively government and key stakeholders will be in a better position to examine what the Waterfront needs to be to best support the City and the region. While there has been focus on the waterfront in previous documents and clearly evident as a concern in ongoing community consultation, there are complex and interrelated issues and opportunities that need to be explored in greater detail than possible in the scope of work defined for this UDIF. The Waterfront is important to the City, the region, the people and the place. It has the capacity to be a regional attractor. Previous plans and visions have failed to deliver a publicly desirable, economically viable and implementable outcome for the waterfront.
Place Reports 2 and 3 and a Consultation Paper on the Gosford City SEPP and SIC are available at http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Plans-for-your-area/Regional-Plans/Central-Coast
CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW JUNE 2018
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