The $200 million Harbord Diggers development won the Development of the Year - Mixed Use Award at the Urban Developer Awards held recently in Brisbane.
The new Harbord Diggers in Freshwater, NSW was nominated alongside five other finalists in the Mixed Use category including V by Crown Group in Parramatta and Soho Village in Victoria.
Greg Pickering, CEO of Mounties Group, which was responsible for the transformation of the former Harbord Diggers registered club, said that the award recognised more than 10 years of planning, hard work and effort invested in the $200 million development.
A first of its kind in Australia, the new Harbord Diggers development was designed by CHROFI, Architectus and JMD Design, and built by building and construction firm Ganellen with Fender Katsalidis involved as the interior architects.
According to Pickering, a key objective of the development was to deliver a thriving, intergenerational precinct that brings together people of all ages.
“It’s really encouraging that the judges specifically acknowledged the unique ‘whole-of-life approach’ of the development,” he says.
“Venues such as the Diggers which cater to a wide audience, play an important role in reducing the risk of social isolation within a community and by providing a facility designed for multiple generations, we are quickly seeing evidence of this.”
Stage One of the Harbord Diggers development was launched in June, and features seniors living, children’s early education, indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces, children’s play area as well as three restaurants and a café.
Stage Two, which will include a fitness centre and swimming pool, as well as a range of member services, is scheduled to open in late 2019.
The development has helped boost membership of the new Harbord Diggers with over 20,000 new members signing up in the first two months of trade.
The Urban Developer Awards provide a platform for Australian and New Zealand developers and project managers to celebrate leadership and success in the industry and showcase the people, programs, places and projects that are positively shaping our cities.
