In the heart of Wollongong, a stark symbol of the region's intersecting housing and construction crises stands conspicuously empty. The Crownview apartment complex on Crown Street, near the hospital, has sat vacant for years, its potential homes locked behind a prohibition order while buyers who purchased almost a decade ago remain in limbo.
A Building Plagued by Defects
The building's troubles came to light after an inspection by the former NSW Building Commissioner, David Chandler, who identified a catalogue of serious defects. These were not minor issues; they included critical faults with load-bearing columns that had been improperly thickened with concrete, along with significant problems related to shower tiles, balconies, and waterproofing throughout the building.
As a direct result of these findings, authorities issued both a stop work order and a prohibition order. This prohibition order is key: it legally prevents the issuing of an occupation certificate, which is the mandatory requirement needed before anyone can lawfully move into the building. This regulatory action has frozen the tower in a state of empty potential.
Buyers' Decade of Frustration
The human cost of this construction failure is profound. Individuals and families who invested in apartments at Crownview, some nearly ten years ago, have never been able to call them home. Their contracts contained a clause that allowed the developer, Robert Huang, to repeatedly extend the project's sunset date—the deadline for completion and handover.
This clause trapped buyers, making it extraordinarily difficult to reclaim their deposits even as the project stalled indefinitely. The Illawarra Mercury reported one particularly distressing case where a buyer, recovering from recent heart surgery, visited Huang's office and showed his surgical scars in a desperate, but ultimately unsuccessful, plea to get his money back.
Following intervention by David Chandler, the practice of extending the sunset date ceased. It is understood that a number of buyers have since managed to retrieve their deposits, though the experience has left a lasting mark.
No Clear Path to Resolution
Today, the situation remains unresolved. A spokesperson for Building Commission NSW confirmed that the organisation continues to work with the developer to find a path towards rectification. However, they emphasised that the building "still requires complex rectification works" and no timeline for completion exists.
The stop work order will only be lifted once planning approvals for the major remedial works are secured and a licensed builder is formally engaged to carry them out. This leaves the towering complex in a state of purgatory, a vacant silhouette against Wollongong's skyline while the region grapples with a severe shortage of available housing.
The Building Commission has encouraged any individuals still affected by the Crownview situation to contact them for assistance on 13 27 00. For now, the empty windows of the Crown Street tower serve as a persistent reminder of the urgent need for accountability and reform in the building industry.
