An area to the east of the Gungahlin town centre is set to have sprawling parklands, hundreds of apartments and dining areas, according to plans unveiled by the ACT government.
The Suburban Land Agency's design and place framework follows almost two years of community consultation for the 32-hectare site.
The area is bounded by Anthony Rolfe Avenue, Manning Clarke Crescent, Camilleri Way and Kate Crace Street.
A place to live and work
The Gungahlin town centre east precinct will have a mix of medium and high-density buildings, with homes and offices throughout.
A build-to-rent site will be included in the precinct and it's set to have about 350 dwellings, with 52 affordable rentals.
The site, to be released in 2024-25, will be required under the territory's land release program to have 15 per cent of homes offered to eligible tenants at less than 75 per cent of market rent.
The majority of office spaces in the precinct are proposed to be between Flemington Road and Earnest Cavanagh Street in three six-storey buildings.
Another office building of the same height will be built on the other side of Flemington Road.
The ground floor of most buildings will be required to have public use, including two community spaces and a number of food and beverage venues.
Scattered building heights in the area will create a "varied and interesting skyline", according to the design framework.
At the tallest height, three buildings of up to 18 storeys will surround parklands in the middle of the precinct. Most buildings will be a maximum of between three and 15 storeys.
A minimum building height of four storeys will be allowed along Flemington Road and three storeys along the northern side of the Valley Avenue, under the updated Territory Plan.
Up to 2500 homes are anticipated to be built in the area.
Green spaces
Buildings will be complemented by landscaping across the precinct, including four parks aimed at specific activities.
The largest of the parks is proposed to include a market area and a public library.
Designed as the focal point of the town centre, this park has potential for water activities and nature play according to the design framework.
It will be between Flemington Road and the Valley Way, with Manning Clarke North light rail stop to the eastern corner.
An activity park is planned just to the north of Flemington Road.
Games areas, including a dedicated Indigenous games space and sheltered outdoor spaces, will characterise this area. There is potential for a community hall or recreation centre to be built within the park.
Exercise pods with equipment will be included under the framework.
An area of yellow box gum trees at the northern end of the precinct will likely be reinvigorated through soil conservation.
It will connect Gungahlin east to Mulligan Flat and provide walking areas for residents.
The final park is proposed to be a dedicated cycle space with kids' cycling tracks.
The area is close to the Mulungarri Grasslands and could connect to larger tracks.
Land in the precinct will be released over the coming years, and this is expected to begin from late 2024.
Minister for Housing and Suburban Development Yvette Berry said the buildings and public spaces in this precinct will be an important place for residents.
"[The design and place framework] brings together a range of ideas about park and recreational spaces, community facilities, streetscapes, landscaping, urban canopy, sustainability, as well as residential and commercial buildings," she said.
"This is just the first step, there will be many more opportunities for people to have their say about how they would like the Gungahlin Town Centre East precinct to look and be used as the Government works through the statutory approvals process."
The design and place framework can be viewed under the "Your Say" section of the ACT government website.
