Smithfield RSL has joined the ranks of western Sydney clubs looking to futureproof the business, through development of an onsite precinct incorporating over 400 residential apartments.
The club was founded in the early 1950s, when the late Norman McCarthy donated land to the local RSL Sub-Branch.
Seven decades later, the Smithfield institution has released its ambitious masterplan, bringing a 10-storey 168-room hotel, retail space, a medical centre, a large outdoor event space for the community, a park with play facilities, and up to 436 apartments in new structures of up to 14 storeys.
The precinct is to be named Chisholm Place, which is a nod to the original name of Smithfield, Chisholm’s Bush.
There will be upgrades to parts of the club to the north, along Neville St, and to its main lobby, but the majority of the existing club will remain untouched.
It’s anticipated there will be strong demand for the hotel facilities from workers in the adjacent industrial zone, which Club COO Wesley Komorowski notes is one of the largest in the region.
And the precinct is well positioned, between Liverpool and Parramatta, to capitalise on the soaring demand expected once the new airport opens in late 2026, which has expedited hotel approvals in the area.
More than a dozen companies have been involved in crafting the masterplan, including design by Benson McCormack Architects and project advisement by Innova Capital.
Fairfield Council approved the masterplan, with Mayor Frank Carbone offering it was about “city building” and making Fairfield more of a destination, and a chance to keep local jobs by not losing the investment to other localities.
Fairfield hosts major festivals throughout the year, attracting people from across the state. The Chisholm Place project will coincide with the Fairfield Showground redevelopment and the hotel will provide beds for visitors.
Although multiple new hotels are being built in Parramatta, more are needed in the city’s southwest, according to David Borger, executive director of Business Western Sydney.
Announcement of Chisholm Place follows the recent opening, in July, of the nearby and comparable $230 million Cabravale Club Resort, incorporating a 140-room Novotel hotel.
Smithfield RSL’s long-serving CEO Shane Atkins disclosed that the concept behind their precinct has been in mind and in the works for over three decades, and he believes it marks a “tremendous” opportunity for the Fairfield LGA.
“The proposal is about contributing much-needed uses and homes for Smithfield, and these also make excellent sense for our diversification strategy as a community club,’’ says Atkins.
