The University of Sydney wants to redevelop terraces on Darling Road into a student hub. Photo: Google Maps

The University of Sydney has proposed to transform a row of heritage-listed Victorian terraces in inner Sydney into a massive student hub with affordable accommodation for 337 people with study rooms, libraries, common areas, kitchens and dining halls.

A series of three-storey blocks are proposed to be built in the backyards of the 38 two-storey, late 19^th century homes, with a number of alterations also taking place inside the houses to knock them into each other to make the most of their interior spaces.

The $40 million scheme by the University of Sydney to develop the houses they own close to the university campus – with seven other terraces still privately-owned at various spots in between – has now been put on public exhibition by the NSW Planning Department.

The project is already receiving backlash from local residents. Image: Supplied

“We’d encourage people to put in their submissions and those submissions will be collated and given back to the proponent (the University of Sydney),” said a department spokesperson. “They then will need to respond to any concerns that are raised and present back to us, and then we’ll look at responding to that.”

The Darlington Road terraces, along with the five-storey apartment block Darlington House, are currently being let to around 151 students. This proposal will, however, dramatically increase their number and provide additional dormitory rooms and facilities, as well as for visiting academics and their families, with a central internal space running through each block.

One local resident who asked not to be named said there was a groundswell of local opposition to the plans. “Already we have so many students here, and we’re tearing our hair out at how much noise they make and damage they cause,” he said.

“The area just can’t cope with such an increase.”

The redevelopment covers 38 Victorian terraces on Darlington Road, Darlington. Image: Supplied

The owners of the terraces in between the university-owned ones are also understood to be digging in their heels ready for a fight. “Some have said they’re fed up with being approached and they’re not going to move or make it easy for the university,” said the neighbour.

At the University of Sydney, however, division manager property and development Christian Watts said the plans also included the conversion of Darlington Lane into a shared traffic and pedestrian zone with new landscaping and public domain art installations. In addition, the university-owned pocket part nearby would be upgraded.

“The vision of the project is to create a lively, safe, student living environment by providing a wide variety of spaces that set the stage for places for student to socialise, study, meet or retreat,” he said.

“The development will include the refurbishment and adaptive reuse of the original existing university-owned terraces and a new suite of accommodation buildings being built to provide over 300 beds. This will include construction of new three-storey buildings being built within the rear yards of the terrace houses.”

The proposed student hub will include student accommodation, libraries and common areas. Image: Supplied

The plans have been drawn up by award-winning architects Allen Jack+Cottier. No one from their office was available to comment.

The proposal includes partially demolishing the rear skillion roofed additions of the Darlington Road terraces to provide an internal courtyard space connecting them to the new buildings behind. The facades of the new buildings are intended to integrate with those of the old.

There’ll also be new retail, food, beverage, sports and doctors’ rooms built on campus, but no new car parking for the students since the site is only 700 metres to Redfern station and close to bus routes.

RichardsElliot Estate Agents’ sales director Michael du Chateau said the proposal is in line with the push by all universities to turn into major accommodation developers, with the University of Notre Dame last year buying a vacant 520-square-metre site in neighbouring Chippendale for $21 million.

“It’s not enough for universities these days to provide education, they’ve also got to be businesses making money,” he said. “If you can accommodate university students for three or four years, then they are captured and that’s a massive cash flow and, as the years roll on, that property will be worth a fortune.”

In 2007, the median house price in Darlington was $540,000, according to Domain Group data. Today, it stands at $1.5 million.

Source – Sue Williams, “University of Sydney Looks to Redevelop 38 Historic Terraces in Darlington into Student Hub”
Commercial Realestate, May 2018