Liverpool. $40 million application

American retailer, Costco, has lodged a development application with Liverpool Council to construct a wholesale and retail warehouse as well as a service station at the Crossroads on Beech Road, Casula. The development, to cost almost $40 million, will be assessed by the Sydney West Joint Regional Planning Panel. Liverpool Chamber of Commerce president, Harry Hunt, says the development has been in the pipeline for Casula for a while.

Bankstown. $6.4 million for property

Taiwanese investor, Everest Peak, has paid $6.4 million for a 1308-square-metre retail outlet in the Bankstown City Plaza. Westpac occupies the building, which attracted 52 bids at auction.

Liverpool. Proposal rejected

Only one proposal for the future use or development of the former Liverpool City Council administration building, destroyed by fire in 2010, was registered after council sought expressions of interests earlier in the year. A report from Liverpool Council's general manager, Farooq Portelli, said the proposal met the council's primary objective to provide extensive social and economic benefits to Liverpool but did not provide an acceptable financial return. A second submission was received a day late so was not considered. Thirty-four organisations/individuals registered on the council's eTenderlink portal and downloaded application forms.

Parramatta. Urban design wins award

Parramatta City Council has congratulated landscape architect firm, McGregor Coxall, after it claimed the prestigious Policies, Programs and Concepts (Small Scale) award at the 2012 Australia Award for Urban Design (AAUD). McGregor Coxall was awarded for its Parramatta River Urban Design Strategy, commissioned by council in 2011 as part of its river foreshore regeneration plan. Council is currently reviewing feasibility options for progressing the McGregor Coxall strategy. It will incorporate some of the concepts as part of its Design Parramatta project, which is an opportunity for designers, architects and artists to help transform public spaces, streets and lanes in the Parramatta CBD.

Villawood. Move to Regents Park

The Melbourne-based Colorpak has closed its Villawood site and moved production to Regents Park at a cost of about $5 million.

Region. High leasing demand

Western Sydney had not received such a high leasing demand for industrial property for more than a decade, with speculative-basis warehouses expected to be built in the next two quarters, said CBRE regional director for industrial and logistics services, Joshua Charles. “Western Sydney A-grade warehouse rents will grow 5 per cent over the next 12 months, incentives will contiune to contract towards 8 per cent and vacancy periods are in some cases non-existent,” he said.

Region. Payments to private sector

The NSW government will make regular payments to the private sector for more than a decade to o[perate the planned $8.5 billion North West Rail Link as well as providing significant funds during construction of the project. Stations on the existing Epping to Chatswood rail line will be upgraded to run single deck trains.