Inside Gosford’s Quiet Revolution
Published by: theaustralian.com.au
NSW Premier Chris Minns says Archibald by ALAND is an “exciting” development that will change the image and economic fortunes of Gosford, the capital city of the Central Coast.
The $375 million mixed-use project created hundreds of local jobs during its construction phase and would employ a further 200 people when the new voco® Gosford hotel opens next year, he said.
Mr Minns attended a topping-out ceremony on September 2 to mark the end of the major construction phase at Archibald, the most important apartment and hotel development in Gosford for several decades.
“Congratulations to ALAND,” said Mr Minns. “This is such an exciting addition to the skyline in Gosford. Thank you to ALAND for pushing through with this project. These are not easy things to get over the line.”
The Premier joined local business leaders, civic officials and Ms Liesl Tesch, MLA for Gosford, on level 23 of Archibald’s West Tower, marvelling at the panoramic views over Brisbane Water and surrounding national parks.
“We embrace developers that build high-quality establishments like this one,” he said. “Hopefully this is not the last topping out ceremony [in Gosford], but just the beginning.”
Named in honour of Archibald Acheson, the second Earl of Gosford, the stunning coastal development recently took out the top prize at the 2024 Asia Pacific Property Awards as Australia’s Best Mixed-Use Development.
ALAND Founder and Owner Andrew Hrsto said he was very proud of the people who had worked on the Archibald project, which had presented many challenges over the previous couple of years.
“There were times when I really wanted to quit but the community support for this project was amazing – as was the support of the council,” he said. “So today is an amazing milestone. I’m really excited to see what this building is going to do for Gosford, which is a place with so much to offer.”
Mr Hrsto said that with its stylish new bars and food outlets the precinct will help to transform the nighttime economy of Gosford, but also reposition the city as a major new tourism and conference destination in Australia.
“Being located between Sydney and Newcastle, Gosford is also very accessible for both domestic and international visitors,” he said.
“The new bars and restaurants are going to bring locals back into the city, while the conference facilities and grand ballroom will provide a venue for events that Gosford has never been able to host before.”
The Archibald Precinct complements several other major developments, such as the $348 million Gosford Hospital redevelopment and a new $63.8m University of Newcastle campus, that are transforming the city.
ALAND expects the first residents to move into their apartments later this year, with voco® Gosford hotel opening its doors in the first quarter of 2025.