Former Nowra Gateway site to reopen as a short stay caravan park

New owners Jesse Xu and Nicholas Warden, of Mosman Property Group, settled on the property on January 21 and already the change has been dramatic.

Once considered an eyesore, all but seven of the more than 60 cabins and caravans that were located on the property have been sold and removed.

And five of the final seven cabins will be relocated this week.

The long term plan is to redevelop the site with a hotel, restaurants and cafes and apartment accommodation and to provide a more appealing entry to Nowra.

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But in the interim, while studies and rezonings are carried out, the location will reopen next month as a "traditional" caravan park.

The Nowra Riverside Tourist Park will have the capability of catering for approximately 45 to 60 caravans and tents for short stay only.

"We aim to be up and running in March," Mr Warden said.

"Mind you we still have lots of work to do before that happens - as we upgrade the water and electricity reticulations."

The once cluttered site, littered with garbage and numerous vans has been transformed into a large open greenspace.

"It's certainly a lot more welcoming now," said Mr Warden of the 9500 square metre block fronting Scenic Drive and Wharf Road, with commanding views of the Shoalhaven River.

"We've been removing the concrete slabs associated with the cabins and we have cleaned up the old dead trees and rubbish that was on site.

"We have also started updating the amenities block.

"And let's face it, it won't be a bad spot to stop. It's right next to the highway, which is an advantage, it's close to town, within easy walking distance, while the river is also right there."

Mr Warden said the pace at which the eventual project will progress is dependent on various studies, including the completion of The Lower Shoalhaven River Flood Study.

"Once the flood study is completed, we will have a better understanding of the site constraints and be able to address those in our final design," he said.

He said the company hopes to be able to provide some plans and prospective development imagery in the near future.

Mr Xu said the overall plan for the project stays the same, with parking across the site at grade or just below and will include cafes, restaurants, a three-level hotel with 70 rooms looking over the Shoalhaven River and a residential component, with two and three-bedroom apartments at the rear of the property.

"We are hopeful the project will activate the riverfront precinct, which is something council and the community is keen to see," he said.

However, Mr Warden said a time frame for the project to start is "still a couple of years off".

"We are working collaboratively with council as they undertake a significant body of work as part of the rezoning process. As a consequence, the rezoning of the location could still take a couple of years as it also requires input from the NSW State Government via Planning NSW," he said.

Mr Warden said the rapid progress on the Nowra Bridge duplication is an exciting step toward the possibilities of enhancing the amenity around the riverfront precinct, particularly in relation to landscaping and pedestrian and pushbike linkages at the southern side of the river.

"We are particularly keen to incorporate those linkages and landscaping into our project," he said.

"So in the interim we are using the site as a short stay caravan park for people staying one night up to a maximum of two weeks."

Mr Xu said of the 21 cabins previously on site, all were sold within the first few days after being offered for sale and many have been transported across the state, including further down the South Coast.

"People are looking to use them for workers' accommodation, tourist accommodation and even just for extra family accommodation on their properties," he said.

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