An artist’s impression of the proposal viewed from Matilda Street. Images: Metier3.
The Hellenic Club’s Woden Village mixed-use development proposal includes a 17-storey residential tower and an eight-storey public carpark, significantly increasing the amount of parking formerly available on the site.
The Hellenic Club has submitted a development application for an almost $150 million staged project on the Matilda Street carpark, half of which is still being used as a bus interchange.
The club bought the 1.5-hectare site (Block 4 Section 7 Phillip) between the club and Grand Central Towers for $18.7 million last year after winning a Suburban Land Agency design tender.
The proposal involves subdividing the site into two parcels, demolishing the existing surface carpark and temporary bus interchange, and constructing three multi-unit residential buildings that will provide 200 apartments. Additionally, it includes a 12-storey office building, a six-storey community hub with civic spaces and offices, and a carpark on the Bowes Street corner.
The multi-storey carpark with a screened facade will include two basement levels and provide 640 carparks, end-of-trip facilities and indoor recreation space.
It was a condition of the sale that the 370 public parking spaces on the site be retained, but the club says it has responded to demand for more, saying there is a well-documented shortfall across the Woden Town Centre.
There have been concerns that the new nearby CIT had not provided enough parking for the 6500 students expected to use the campus each year.
The proposal also includes 351 dedicated long-stay and 98 short-stay bicycle parking spaces to promote active travel, together with the new bus interchange and future light rail.
A view from Callam Street showing the residential towers and carpark.
The three residential towers along Callam Street will feature one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.
The 17-storey, 56-metre-high building on the corner of Callam and Matilda streets will have 80 apartments, while the other two buildings, split into two footprints at lower levels and merging at upper levels, will rise to the maximum allowed 12 storeys and have 60 units each.
Under the new planning system, the residential area is zoned at 41m in height with an additional 15m allowable for one building.
The proposal is seeking the extra height for the main tower by showing it has high-quality architectural merit that satisfies urban design and amenity considerations, the DA says.
At ground level, a mix of retail and non-retail commercial spaces is proposed, while four basement levels will provide 292 carpark spaces and bicycle storage.
The office tower, community hub and the main residential tower will be set back from Matilda Street for a 2152 square metre public park featuring an event lawn, children’s play spaces, landscaped gardens, seating, a pavilion and community areas.
The club says the proposal has a focus on high-quality green spaces, including rooftop community and private outdoor areas across the development.
Also proposed are landscaped edges and active frontages along Bowes Street West and South, and verge and streetscape upgrades along Callam Street, Matilda Street and Bowes Street, including new tree plantings, widened footpaths and improvements for pedestrians.
Internal roads include a one-way (northbound), north-south lane across the site between Matilda and Bowes Street South and an east-west lane from Bowes Street West.
The latter will be two-way for a section and then become one-way (eastbound) to the dividing north-south lane.
The club says Woden Village has been carefully designed to integrate with the existing town centre and support surrounding businesses, creating a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood.
The club already has DAs for its own redevelopment approved.
A one-way lane will divide the site.
Hellenic Club CEO Ian Cameron said the project was about creating a place that benefited both the club and the wider Woden community.
“Woden Village is the result of a genuine partnership with government, local businesses and the community,” he said.
“Together, we’ve shaped a vision for a precinct that is green, active and inclusive – a place that will strengthen the fabric of the town centre as a whole.”
Community feedback highlighted strong support for sustainable design, enhanced public spaces and inclusivity, and these priorities have been embedded in the design.
The club aims to begin construction in the second half of 2026.
Stage 1 will include the subdivision registration of easement, and delivery of the carpark, roadways and open space.
Stage 2 will deliver the residential buildings, and Stage 3 will deliver the offices and community hub.
The new interchange is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
To learn more, visit the project website.
The DA is open for comment until 5 November.
