Crown’s Barangaroo conflict continues

A development that would block a Crown Resorts six-star resort could be rearranged to minimise view impacts.

Australia.- Crown Resorts took legal action against the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA), a New South Wales government agency, over construction plans that would impact on its six-star casino at Sydney’s Barangaroo. However, the 158-metre tower would be moved to a different part of the lot to minimise the view impact on both Crown’s property and neighbouring Lendlease residential buildings, the government explained.

After the companies launched legal action and following more than two years of negotiations, the BDA explained that it put forward a proposal to redevelop the site. The redevelopment includes moving the tallest building to the southern part of the site.

“(The redevelopment) reflects the concessions that have been made by the authority throughout the negotiations in response to requests from Crown and Lendlease to minimise potential view impacts from hotel rooms and apartments respectively,” the BDA said.

Nonetheless, experts say every plan proposed still has fully or partially blocked harbour views from some floors of both Crown Resorts’ and Lendlease’s buildings.

BDA and Crown had come to a “good faith” agreement, the Crown Development Agreement (CDA), which had BDA committing to consult Crown on construction that would obstruct hotel visitors from seeing the harbour. However, BDA barrister Tony Bannon assures the clauses focused on good faith negotiations did not guarantee those sight lines.

Still, the companies are taking legal action against the BDA as the case returns to court in November.