A multimillion-dollar housing development on the site of the city’s former beating heart of rugby league is years off construction.
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The iconic Leagues Club building on Gurwood Street was demolished 18 months ago but developer Chris Nash is in no rush to start building.
Wagga-based Nash Bros Builders’ capacity has been reduced by the untimely death of Chris’ brother and business partner Scott Nash in March last year.
“It will be years until we turn our attention to the Leagues Club,” Mr Nash said.
“We have built 140 houses at The Grange and there’s 60 still to do, so we have enough on our plate.
“Our development application for 140 dwellings (on the former Leagues Club site) has been approved by council and we will just sit on it for the time being.
“The big thing we've done is pull the old building down.”
Nash Bros Builders bought the Leagues Club and adjoining Eric Weissel Oval in 2005 for $1.375 million after the club fell into administration.
It comes as another iconic sporting venue relic, Allen Staunton Oval, is just weeks away from development.
Local developers are briefing real estate agents to begin selling 150 house and land packages as soon as next month.
Allen Staunton Oval, where generations of junior rugby league players developed their early skills, was sold by the administrators of the Wagga Leagues Club for $2.21 million in 2005.
Developer Mick Neason, a party to the property syndicate that bought the site, will start building his 27 lots shortly after Christmas and hopes to have the completed homes on the market by June.
“Council has identified this site as important for residential development close to central Wagga, so they’ve allowed pretty high density development,” Mr Neason said.
Stephanie Anderson, of MJM Consulting Engineers, said home buyers will be able to buy individual lots with pre-approved architectural plans.
“It’s been a long time coming because a development of this density hasn’t been seen before in the area.”