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Sydney developer Billbergia has unveiled the third and final stage of its five-tower $3 billion Rhodes Central masterplan, with the mixed-use project set to expand and complete the developer's vision for the town centre.
After wrapping up the first two stages comprising 1,241 apartments and the Rhodes Central shopping Centre, Billbergia is progressing plans for a 39-level residential tower known as Cascade which will deliver an additional 361 apartments.
Located at 23-25 Marquet Street at Rhodes in Sydney’s inner west, the last stage of the landmark development will also include 72 affordable housing and multi-generational apartments.
The final tower at Rhodes Central will also incorporate retail space, interactive public space, an upscale food and beverage offering and an alfresco dining plaza.
Once completed, the Rhodes Central masterplan will have delivered more than 1,600 new homes for about 3,500 people, along with community infrastructure, retail, dining, and an expansive new public domain and plaza along Marquet Street.
A new basement and podium rooftop will connect all five buildings and allow residents to share amenities.
“We’re now a step closer to realising our vision for Rhodes Central,” says Saul Moran, development director of planning and design at Billbergia.
“With brand new retail and more public open space, this final stage embodies our commitment to creating connected communities and delivering housing diversity amid Sydney’s housing crisis.
“It also completes the landmark town centre precinct that has been almost 20 years in the making.”
Billbergia says Rhodes Central project sets a benchmark for transport orientated development and brings life to the company’s vision for a “future-focused, liveable urban environment that prioritises amenity, not just density”.
When completed, the project will deliver more than 25,000sqm of publicly accessible amenity, including Rhodes Central shopping centre, the $85 million Rhodes Recreation Centre, commercial office space and an additional 1,200sqm of retail space in stage three.
“Rhodes has evolved over two decades from a former industrial site into a connected, thriving community,” says John Pradel, partner and master plan lead at architecture firm SJB.
“Each stage has built on the last, adding not just housing, but the civic and social spaces that make a place truly liveable and allow the community to flourish.”
The stage-three Cascade tower will be located adjacent to the 13,000-square-metre Rhodes Central shopping centre and will boost the retail hub’s available retail space by 10 per cent while delivering an upmarket restaurant offering, an open-air dining plaza and a 2,000sqm expansion to the existing public domain extending into the retail forecourt.
Billbergia says the completion of the final stage will enhance pedestrian connectivity while showcasing an interactive water feature and “engaging public art”.
The Rhodes Central masterplan was originally conceived by SJB in 2005, with the firm subsequently delivering the design for the first two stages.
The Cascade tower will have a striking design with a slender tower grounded by a four-storey podium. The tower is divided into three forms, with a distinctive silhouette that resembles three fingers.
According to SJB, the project’s design aims to deliver a range of dwelling types, including multi-generational floorplans, catering to emerging needs of the growing population.
“Our concept encompasses a broader site vision that integrates this site with Rhodes Town Centre through a new iconic building and generous public domain,” says Emily Wombwell, director and design lead at SJB.
“Cascade’s design offers a variety of living typologies that cater to a diverse range of existing and emerging demographics.
“The proposal aims to improve social and environmental connections by creating a safe and welcoming landscape for existing and future communities of Rhodes.”
Billbergia has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for stage three of Rhodes Central.
The move comes on the heels of Billbergia last month seeking to fast-track the transformation of an industrial site at Concorde West into a $2.2 billion master-planned development through a SSDA lodged with the NSW Government last month.
Demolition has already been completed on the Cascade tower site at Rhodes Central, with early works including excavation expected to begin in early 2026 and the company targeting completion in 2030.
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