Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has scored a major win for its AU$2.2 billion development at Sydney’s Barangaroo precinct after the Supreme Court of NSW found that the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) had breached an agreement between the two regarding lines of sight.
The ruling comes four months after Crown commenced legal proceedings against the BDA in relation to a proposed development within the same area that threatens the expansive views of Sydney Harbour that Crown Sydney is set to enjoy once complete in 2021.
Crown and its development partner Lendlease had previously signed a Crown Development Agreement with the BDA based on the original concept plan for the area which, among other stipulations, required the BDA to “negotiate in good faith” with both companies on any proposed developments that differed from the concept plan.
In a judgement delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the BDA, “has breached the development agreements between it, Crown Sydney Property and two Lendlease parties.
“This was because the Authority had considered various bids to develop Central Barangaroo without first discussing and negotiating, with Crown and Lendlease, ways to retain the sight lines that the Crown and Lendlease buildings would otherwise enjoy to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.”
The court described the views as being “of great value to Crown and Lendlease respectively.”
Justice Robert MacDougall is set make his orders in the case on Monday.
When complete, Crown Sydney will stand 271-meters tall and boast a six-star hotel, Sydney’s most expensive residential apartments and a casino designated exclusively for VIPs.
Barangaroo will also make Crown the only company operating casinos in each of Australia’s two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.
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