(Concept image only, subject to all approvals)
Development paperwork has been lodged by Sydney casino The Star for a new 61-storey hotel tower which all but confirms the return of Marriott International’s Ritz-Carlton brand to the NSW capital after a decade away.
The NSW Department of Planning will now consider the proposed “ribbon development” amid plans for an exhibition of the proposal set to be made public later this month.
Architecture firm FJMT was selected in December 2016 as the winning designer for the tower, which will feature 220 luxury hotel rooms managed by Ritz-Carlton and 200 residences below. Additional facilities will include 15 restaurant and bar dining outlets across a range of cuisines and price points, a rooftop terrace and Sky Lobby.
The new resort will offer three swimming pools, two fitness centres, a spa and wellness centre and five-level “Neighbourhood Centre” designed for events and conferences, which will include a networking and hot-desking facility designed to collaborate with local entrepreneurs and enterprising community members.
(Concept image only, subject to all approvals)
At an investment of around $500 million, The Star is working with Hong Kong property developer Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium. Development officials say the new project will add support to the new Sydney International Convention Centre and help provide a thoroughfare to link the nearby Fish Market with Darling Harbour.
The Star Entertainment Group CEO Matt Bekier said the benefits to the community brought by the new development cannot be understated as inbound tourism continues to grow.
“Forecasts suggest Australia’s current visitation of around 8.3 million international visitors per annum will rise to 15 million a year inside a decade. To cater for that demand, we need the necessary tourism infrastructure. Sydney lacks sufficient high-end hotels to meet this wave of international tourist demand.
“Bringing a world-renowned brand like The Ritz-Carlton to The Star Sydney will further embed our reputation as a tourism and entertainment destination of global appeal.”
Bekier claimed that Australia currently attracts only 1% of the booming outbound market from China and that the local Pyrmont community surrounding The Star had been consulted and included in the progress of the development, which began three years ago via an initial submission.
“As a company, we take pride in fostering and supporting the communities in which we operate. From the outset of this planning process more than two years ago we have engaged the Pyrmont community and kept the wider precinct updated. We have run community consultation sessions, took our community’s feedback seriously, and altered our designs accordingly prior to lodging these plans and entering a public exhibition period.