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Sold for $7.95m

MSA Safety, a global manufacturer of safety products, has sold an 82150square-metre industrial property, at 137 Gilba Road, Girraween, for $7.95 million to a private construction company for its new NSW headquarters.

Dwelling lots

IN a deal which could be worth $400 million, Mirvac plans to deliver 1200 residential lots on a 150-hectare site, at Marsden Park North. Construction is expected to commence in four years time.

Firm in Dubbo

PENRITH-based civil contracting company, J K Williams, is developing Dubbo’s newest residential estate, which will be developed in seven stages, with a total of 40 blocks released in the first stage.

Incoming chair

THE incoming chair, of Opal Aged Care, Peter Shergold, says outsourcing social services would be more successful if private firms are given to innovate. Peter Shergold is also a director of financial services firm, AMP, and credit reporting agency, Veda Group, and Chancellor, of the University of Western Sydney.

Trade delegations

TRADE delegations will be exchanged between The Hills and the Hebei Province in China following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between The Hills Chamber of Commerce and the province

Costco proposal

BLACKTOWN City Council has forwarded the planning proposal for a Costco outlet at Marsden Park, to the Department of Planning and the Environment for approval

Best Metal buys

BEST Metal has acquired a 1310-square-metre industrial site at 46 and 48 Carlingford Road, Regents Parks, from Mascot Engineering for $1.56 million. The freestanding facility and open sealed yard area on two separate titles were sold in one line.

KNJ sells

KNJ Pty Ltd has purchased a 34730-square-metre property, at 29 Hoskins Avenue, Bankstown, to Zhi Jun $4.75 million.

Warehouse sold

JACOB Sirgani and John Sirgani have purchased a 602-square-metre warehouse, at21 Bullecourt Avenue, Milperra, from Peter Jessop, for $890,000.

Sold for $14m

AN undisclosed buyer has purchased the Padstow Park Hotel, at Padstow, from the Coles Liquor Group. A subsidiary of Wesfarmers, for about $14 million

Property sells

THE Rhodian Brotherhood has sold a property used as a club and bar, at 91 Gillies Street, Fairfield, to a private residential investor, for $1.95 million, to construct five townhouses.

Estate sold

LEASON Developments has bought a 4060-square-metre industrial estate comprising six industrial units, at 26 Kelso Road, Moorebank, $2.45 million, from Carerra Investments

Swire buys

SWIRE Cold Storage has bought a11,538-square-metre building, at Prestons, for $9.7 million from Shayne Investments.

No height limits

PARRAMATTA City Council has releases a draft planning blueprint proposing no building height limits, increasing density and an expanded CBD in an attempt to stimulate commercial development. The plan would allow some residential development in Parramatta’s commercial core provided it included commercial development,

Developers keen

DEVELOPERS see the future of the Parramatta CBD with Charter Hall. Lend Lease, DEXUS, Leighton Properties, and private developers Centuria, Dyldam and Walker Group throwing their hats in the ring for various buildings in Parramatta City Council’s $2 billion Parramatta Square redevelopment precinct. Earlier, Leighton Properties won the tender for a 14-storey tower, to accommodate the University of Western Sydney, within the precinct.

$600 million DA

BOYDED Industries, a group associated with the Heartland Holden car dealership, has lodged with Parramatta City Council a $600 million DA for a 10-storey commercial building and two residential towers of 23 and 42 storeys on one site and another 10-storey commercial building and a 31-storey mixed commercial and residential tower on a second site. A third site will contain public amenities. The proposed development is on the south-west corner of Church Street and the Great Western Highway.

Alfasi sells to council

ALFASI Property Development has sold the former Australia Post building, in Macquarie Street, in the Parramatta CBD, to Parramatta City Council for more than $19 million and will become a key component of council’s $2 billion Parramatta Square redevelopment. The post office has relocated to the corner of Macquarie and Marsden streets  

On the market

THE St George’s Terrace 965-square-metre two-storey property, on the corner of Smith and Phillip Streets, in the Parramatta CBD is on the market. It is zoned B4 mixed use, with an 80-metre height limit.

Mike needs a bed in Parra

PREMIER Mike Baird, in the lead-up to the March 28 election, should have permanent hotel bed in Parramatta, considering all the time he has been spending in the west. From turning the sod of the Parramatta CBD campus, opening the KPMG office, announcing the new-look multi-storied schools to dining with the Indian community, Mr Baird is almost going from Minister for Western Sydney to fully-blown Westie. Now, which of Parramatta’s fine hotels should have a Baird suite?

Heritage precinct needs a plan

WHILE the business community of Parramatta tends to focus on the burgeoning CBD, tucked around the back, at North Parramatta, is some of our glorious, crumbling past. Many of you would know the more visible Old Government House in Parramatta Park or Elizabeth Farm House and Hambledon Cottage towards Harris Park - but how many of you have paid heed to the heritage precinct around Cumberland Hospital? There lies some of the most significant heritage buildings in Australia. The Female Factory, Catholic Orphanage, Parramatta Mental Asylum in the early days of the colony and later Parramatta Girls Home and Norma Parker Periodic Detention Centre for Women . . . . there are ghosts walking forlornly among those magnificent buildings, many used by Cumberland Hospital administration. They are not in ruins, although certainly in need of some repair, but they will be if they are not revitalised as part of a workable plan that the community, heritage protectors and the government agrees on. At the moment, the State Government, through UrbanGrowth NSW, wants to put up more than 4000 apartments very close to this sensitive site. That is the government’s unimaginative and ill-thought-out plan to pay for the site’s future as another Sydney Rocks, with cafes, museums, art galleries and performance spaces. On one hand, heritage protectors and residents want to see a business plan based on sensitive adaptive re-use of the site so it is self-sufficient while the government insists that selling off and developing public land is the only way to pay for the ongoing costs of the site. We need the business community - those who can see the potential for the whole of Parramatta in terms of  tourists - to come up with a viable, holistic plan for the site. The potential for tourism, and so for your businesses and workforce, is huge. The North Parramatta Residents Action Group has had a successful rally against the UrbanGrowth plan and is writing to Planning Minister Pru Goward to pause the development until there is more community input. But we need business input as well. Check out the North Parramatta Residents Action Group on Facebook.

Penrith celebrates turning 200

OF COURSE, Parramatta is not the only historic city in the west. Penrith is turning 200, and the Bicentenary will be celebrated throughout the year with a number of activities in the library. Penrith City Library will host the 14th Annual History Conference on Saturday, March 14, focussing on the 200th anniversary of Penrith’s first government building, with several prominent historians invited to speak about the early settlement and the people who were instrumental in its development. The rest of the day will be devoted to acknowledging the district’s contribution to WW1, including information about the creation of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) and the Gallipoli campaign. Penrith City Mayor Ross Fowler said this year is an important year in Penrith’s history and anyone interested in learning more should pay a visit to the library. “There are so many ways to learn about the history of Penrith, but really there’s only one place to do it, “Cr Fowler said. “In addition to the special history events we have planned, Penrith City Library also has a large collection of local history records and documents held in its Research Room. For more in depth local knowledge, you can even read the digitised version of the Nepean Times (Penrith’s first newspaper) - which ran from 1882 to 1962.” Hope you don’t mind the history lessons, but I do believe that you sometimes have to look back while planning the future. There are lessons to be learned.

Don’t forget Women’s Day

FELLERS, don’t forget International Women’s Day on March 8, with celebrations of women’s successes happening in the first two weeks of the month. Theme this year is Make It Happen. So, make it happen if it hasn’t already in your company. For local events, go to your council’s website and look out for business organisations’ functions.

State of the City address

DON’T forget Parramatta Chamber of Commerce’s State of the City Address on March 13, in the Novotel in Church St from 11.45am. Learn about Parramatta’s future and where it stands in Sydney’s plans from Lord Mayor Scott Lloyd; Dr Tim Williams, Chief Executive, Committee for Sydney; Barney Glover, Vice Chancellor UWS; Roger Byrne, President Parramatta Chamber of Commerce and Greg Dyer, CEO Parramatta City Council. MC will be the Boss Lady Amanda Rose, a woman who dwarfs me in every way. Details at the Chamber on 9635  0022 or rsvp@parramattachamber.com.au