Bruce Gordon to revitalise Wollongong CBD with WIN Grand

The project, known as WIN Grand, will transform the heart of the Wollongong CBD, leaving Mr Gordon’s mark on his chosen business base. Three residential towers will change the skyline, with the tallest at 39 floors to become the highest building in the city.

Alongside the residential towers, WIN Grand will boast commercial and co-working buildings, 50 new retailers including cafés, restaurants, bars and high street shopping. There will be a full-line cinema complex, function and exhibition space; a live music/arts venue; and a health precinct complete with a gym, lap-pool, spa, sauna and steam room available to the public.

Project director Steve Turner from Colony Six and BVN Architecture said the development presented a “unique opportunity to do some great urban design outcomes and some great planning for the city”. The architecture team had been handed “the most incredible brief” from Financial Review Rich Lister Mr Gordon and his family for what they wanted to achieve with the site.

“[Mr Gordon] used to reference the CEO Andrew [Lancaster’s] children and say ‘what difference is this block going to make to Andrew’s children when they grow up’, so that was our starting point,” Mr Turner said.

Costing about $400 million and covering 1.3 hectares, construction of the mixed-use precinct will create 865 jobs, with a total of 1145 direct and indirect jobs created for the operation, providing gross operational value add of $209 million per year.

Five years in the making, the Gordon family’s plans are the biggest development since the GPT Shopping Centre located across the road was unveiled in 2015.

Mr Turner said extensive research into what the city needs had been used to develop the WIN Grand project, with Mr Gordon and his family wanting the project to “have an enduring contribution” to Wollongong.

The development is also aiming to be the first carbon-neutral development in Wollongong, with a focus on all electric buildings powered with 100 per cent renewable energy, waste reduction strategies and offsetting the remaining precinct emissions.

“And then backing that up with a whole range of electric vehicle recharging charging stations, we’re upgrading public transport infrastructure, we’re delivering amazing end of trip facilities, not buried in basements but up in the health and wellbeing precinct,” Mr Turner said.

WIN Grand, Mr Gordon’s vision, will be developed through his investment vehicle Birketu which owns the land.

Business Illawarra chief executive Adam Zarth said the project is “one of the single largest private sector investments in Wollongong”.

“It’s been a labour of love I’d say for WIN Corp and Mr Gordon. It’s something that will be a game changer because the vibrancy that is going to engender in the CBD is going to be exceptional,” he said.

“So as we come out of lockdown, we’ll see this development as something to look forward to, to re-instil the confidence in our hospitality and retail sector. There’s going to be opportunities for all parts of entertainment within there and of course, much needed A-grade commercial office space.”

Mr Zarth said Wollongong had lagged in the development of A-grade commercial office space, and the WIN Grand development would be “the icing on the cake” and would attract businesses to relocate to the city’s CBD.

“The pandemic created a really challenging time for all CBDs, Wollongong is no different. We’ve had a challenge from a vibrancy point of view because people have stayed closer to their neighbourhoods, closer to their homes.

“This kind of development will draw people in and not just from the surrounding local government area itself, but other areas of the region as well.

“What this will absolutely put beyond doubt is the fact that Wollongong will be a destination for people from as far afield as south-western Sydney and as far south as Nowra to come for a night out and all sorts of other opportunities as well.”