Crown Resorts and Lendlease have entered a court case to prevent the development of large commercial and residential complexes in Barangaroo Central. The casino giant and infrastructure company began legal proceedings against the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) two years ago as it feared that the proposed construction of a new complex in the area would obstruct their views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.
Currently, Crown Resorts is in the process of building a new AU$2.2 billion casino and hotel complex in the area, whereas Lendlease is building a luxurious apartment block in the same area. The two companies previously attempted to sort out the issue through negotiations with state and corporate parties, but were unable to come up with a favourable conclusion.
Barangaroo Delivery Authority Allegedly Deviates from Deal
Both Crown Resorts and Lendlease claim that the BDA initially entered into a contract with state-run authority that required them to discuss any developments that may infringe on their developments’ sight-line of the harbour.
The two companies also stated that they agreed to build their new establishments on the basis that Central Barangaroo would only ever be home to a low-rise development. Developments planned for the area included a new Metro Station among others and that height limits were included in as a part of the plan. However, these plans have drastically changed since they were first announced in 2015, and new owners successfully bid to develop the land on the basis that they will not be restricted by height limits.
However, the BDA has stated that the initial agreement only ensured that the authority would enter into negotiations with the two companies if potential issues ever arose in future, but did guarantee that the sight-line of either of the two buildings would be protected.
The hearing is set to continue throughout this week. Keep it here at TopAusCasinos.org for all the latest updates on this story.