‘WIN GRAND’ A LANDMARK INVESTMENT IN OUR REGION
2 September 2021
The region’s peak business organisation, Business Illawarra, has today welcomed the unveiling of ‘WIN Grand’; a development proposal to transform one of Wollongong’s most prominent city blocks into a vibrant precinct that will provide leading recreation, entertainment, commercial and residential opportunities for the wider community.
The $400 million proposal will represent one of the most significant private sector investments in the region; sitting alongside the upgrade of the Bluescope steelworks, University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus, GPT Group’s Wollongong Central, NSW Ports’s Outer Harbour Expansion (stage 1) and Ramsay Healthcare’s Wollongong Private Hospital.
Business Illawarra Executive Director Adam Zarth said that the development would help propel the local economy out of the pandemic by creating 865 jobs during construction and employing 1,145 locals both directly and indirectly on an ongoing basis.
“This proposal will transform the heart of the Wollongong CBD, and deliver our community a world-class precinct that will add significantly to the entertainment, retail and recreation offerings of the city,” said Mr Zarth.
“Our enviable night time economy will receive a major boost from the proposed performance and exhibition spaces which, together with the cinema and bar, will lift the vibrancy of the city and become a destination for locals and visitors alike.”
“Wollongong’s stock of A-grade commercial office space is also set to receive a much-needed increase in the proposed development, which is also set to benefit from new co-working spaces to reflect growing demand from local entrepreneurs and start-ups.”
“Ultimately, an investment of this scale will provide a host of economic benefits for the wider region throughout its lifetime, together with the addition of local jobs and a much-needed revitalisation of our city’s core.”
“The business community will welcome this transformative investment by the WIN Network and the vision of its owner, Mr Bruce Gordon; an icon of this city and a company that continues to contribute in a myriad of ways to the life of the region.”