Plans have been unveiled for the third and final stage of Billbergia’s $3 billion Rhodes Central masterplan, which will bring the iconic new town centre in Sydney’s inner west closer to completion.
The concluding phase involves the construction of Cascade, a striking 39-storey residential tower located at 23-25 Marquet Street, featuring 361 new apartments with a mix that includes affordable and multi-generational housing options.
Cascade will rise above a four-storey podium and be distinctly designed with a slender tower split into three forms, resembling three fingers, optimising amenity, privacy, and panoramic views toward Sydney CBD and Homebush Bay.
The architectural firm SJB, which conceived the Rhodes Central masterplan in 2005 and designed the earlier stages, won a design excellence competition in 2024 to deliver this final stage.
Emily Wombwell, Director and Design Lead at SJB said: “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.”
The residential tower will include 72 affordable dwellings among its one- to four-bedroom apartments, with a luxury two-storey skyhouse occupying the top two levels.
Communal rooftop gardens with BBQ facilities and expansive viewing decks will provide vistas from the Blue Mountains in the west to Brays Bay and Sydney CBD in the east.
The tower stands on a podium that connects all five buildings within Rhodes Central through ground and rooftop shared amenities, enhancing community connectivity.
Besides residential elements, Stage Three entails vibrant retail spaces, including 1,200 square metres of new retail, an upmarket restaurant, an alfresco dining plaza, and a 2,000-square-metre expansion of the public domain extending into the retail forecourt.
This public domain will feature pedestrian-friendly spaces with interactive water features, public art, and pop-up civic infrastructure such as community stages and kiosks for events.
The development achieves a benchmark in Transport Oriented Development, integrating high public amenity with housing density.
Sustainability is a key focus of the project, encompassing on-site solar generation, optimised window glazing, water recycling, tiered exterior planters, rooftop native landscaping, and efficient HVAC systems.
Early site demolition has been completed, with excavation and early works commencing in early 2026 and an expected completion date in 2030.
Once finished, the Rhodes Central masterplan’s five towers will provide more than 1,600 homes for around 3,500 residents and include extensive community infrastructure, retail, dining, and public spaces, epitomising a vibrant, liveable urban precinct.
