Landmark reaches for the sky with master-planned makeover

An artist’s impression of the building extension planned for Wollongong Central, which will give the site a whole new look.

WORK has officially begun on a new seven-story building, which will open the way for an extension to Wollongong Central. The building is to be erected on the corner of Regent and Market streets in Wollongong and will be the new Head Office of Australian Health Management (AHM). AHM Board Chairman Michael McMahon said The GPT Group, who own Wollongong Central, and Bovis Lend-leasing will build the new office building for AHM, and take control of the current AHM headquarters just off Market Street when the new building is complete. He said The GPT Group will knock down the current AHM building once it is in their possession to make way for extensions to the Wollongong Central shopping complex. Steven Turner, Development Manager for The GPT Group said the step was part of a complete overhaul and a new aesthetically, yet functional , vision for the well-known site. “The GPT Group has advanced in masterplanning for the proposed revitalisation of Wollongong Central, which involves expanding the Centre from approximately 39,000 square metres to 60,000 square metres.”
“As part of the land consolidation for the proposed Wollongong Central masterplan, Australian Health Management offices will relocate to brand new premises at the rear of their existing Keira Street site, with completion due in August 2008,”he said. The new AHM headquarters have been toted as becoming the cream of the crop amongst commercial buildings in the city. “This building will represent a new commercial benchmark within the Wollongong CBD,” Mr. McMahon said. “It will feature sustainable design initiatives, such as carbon monoxide monitoring in car parks so ventilation fans only run as needed and automatic office lights which turn off when solar lighting is sufficient,” he said. The site was until recently the AHM car park, and alternate strategies, such as increased car-pooling, public transport use and walking to work have been put in place to cope with the loss of parking spaces for AHM staff. Mr McMahon said that the nearby apartment buildings have been considered and noise from construction will be kept as low as possible for the duration of the works. The new building should be complete by August 2008, so that staff can move in the following month. AHM have been in their current building since 1994, and the new building will be their fourth head office in Wollongong.