The Block reinvented for new kids, students and artists

A bright future … the new Block, known as the Pemulwuy Project.

The Aboriginal Housing Company's revised proposal went on exhibition yesterday, paving the way for three new residential and commercial precincts in a patch of land that has long symbolised the promise and plight of modern indigenous Australians.

The main six-storey building, bordered by Eveleigh, Vine, Louis and Caroline streets near Redfern railway station, would comprise 36 townhouses and 26 apartments, shops, a gymnasium and an underground car park.

The second building, between Caroline and Lawson streets, would rise to just three storeys and be leased to retailers, other businesses and include a childcare centre.

The third, also six storeys, would house 42 units containing 154 beds for students, along with more shops and a gallery.

Long-standing plans to develop the Block have been stymied for years by a lack of interest from private investors.

The chief executive of the Aboriginal Housing Company, Mick Mundine, said the revised plans for the Pemulwuy Project, as the $70 million block redevelopment is called, were to ensure the development made money. The corporation had so far received around $22 million in government funding, he said.

''The reason why we're building the student accommodation and a lot of commercial and childcare [is] really to generate money,'' he said.

Future tenants - including those evicted from the Block to allow for its demolition - would be chosen based on their past behaviour as renters.

''It all depends on the the tenant history; if you've been selling drugs on the premises, there's no chance of you coming back into the community again,'' he said.

The revised plans are open to public scrutiny and comment until the end of next month on the Planning Department's website. If they are approved, Mr Mundine said he hoped excavation work on the site could begin in May.

The modified proposal represents a 12 per cent increase in overall floor space from the original to 17,365 square metres. It also includes a new bridge to be developed over part of the nearby railway corridor, cultural installations, and improved street lighting and paving. An initial plan for an elders community cultural centre has been removed.

The Block was born in 1973 when the then prime minister, Gough Whitlam, handed the local Aboriginal community a grant to buy terrace houses there. The move came to symbolise the birth of urban land rights in Australia.

The Aboriginal Housing Company has managed the properties for almost as long through controversy, allegations of mismanagement, and decades of infamy as the Block, by reputation, became synonymous with drugs and crime.

The last of its original buildings was demolished in October last year.

Source: http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/the-block-reinvented-for-new-kids-students-and-artists-20120120-1q96q.html