The Hellenic Club of Canberra has taken a major step toward reshaping the heart of Woden, lodging the Development Application (DA) for its long-awaited Woden Village precinct – a project set to transform an existing surface carpark into one of the ACT’s most significant mixed-use community developments.
For CEO Ian Cameron, the proposal is the product of years of planning, consultation, and a clear commitment to ensuring the Club’s cultural and community legacy endures for generations.
“In the Woden Village precinct, it’s a significant development for Woden, the broader community, and also the Hellenic Club,” Mr Cameron tells The Greek Herald.
“There’ll be 200 residential apartments, a 640-car park… a commercial building and a community building. But most significantly, there’s also a lot of public landscaping.”
Designed in partnership with the ACT Government and shaped through three phases of community engagement, the proposal reflects strong public demand for green, safe and people-focused spaces. It features a new 2152 sqm public park, rooftop community areas, a children’s play space, and pedestrian-friendly connections between Woden Town Square, Westfield and the Hellenic Club.
Responding to long-standing local needs
One of the most pressing issues in Woden is parking – something Mr Cameron has grappled with across his 30-year career.
“We’ve had a parking problem in this area for decades, as long as I can remember,” he says. “A 640-car park will not only benefit the wider community, but it’ll be a significant benefit to our members wanting to access the Club, and contribute to our long-term success.”
In fact, securing the Woden Village site has allowed the Hellenic Club to rethink how it will stage construction on both parcels of land.
“This gives us the opportunity to… resolve our parking problem, and… allows us to program both developments into manageable parcels for us,” he explains.
Without this additional site, beginning redevelopment on the existing Hellenic Club block would have placed enormous strain on membership, operations and access. The new car park – two basement levels and seven podium levels – will be the first structure delivered before any major works commence on the Club’s own site.
A smooth path to DA – and what comes next
Large-scale urban projects typically face regulatory or community hurdles, but Mr Cameron says the Woden Village process has been unusually constructive.
“We purchased the site through a design tender process… from the outset, it was very clear in regards to what we could do… and what we were intending to do. That’s been very well supported by the government and by the broader community,” he says.
“The challenges have been pretty minimal… It’s a great development. It will be a great result for the community as well as our members.”
Cost estimates are still being finalised. “We haven’t got to that stage yet where we’re able to definitively give you a reasonable cost estimate,” Mr Cameron says. “The best thing about it now is… we can program it into bite-sized pieces that are manageable for us.”
The DA was open for public notification until 8 November 2025.
Inside the Club: A year of transformation
While planning for Canberra’s first major mixed-use entertainment precinct, the Hellenic Club has simultaneously undergone one of the largest internal upgrades in its history.
“We started refurbishments last September… we did the gaming lounge, the foyer, the housing room upstairs, extended the Chinese restaurant Ginseng, did the café, the Triton Lounge, and we’re completing the bistro renovations,” Mr Cameron says.
“A new gelato bar will go in and we’ll also build a new kids’ room. We expect everything to be completed by the first week in December.”
The improvements – including the introduction of Kivotos, Mavi Gelati, a redesigned bistro, and expanded dining spaces – have already drawn significant praise.
“The results have been outstanding. We’re really, really pleased with what we’ve been able to produce,” he says.
Once internal upgrades conclude, all attention will shift to Woden Village’s DA process and preparation for the construction of the 640-space car park, the project’s first milestone.
‘Hopeful to get a fair hearing’
In October, the Club announced it would appeal an ACT Gambling and Racing Commission ruling imposing a significant fine. Mr Cameron says while he cannot comment extensively, the Club remains firm in its position.
“We’ll most likely have a hearing date early next year. We’re very hopeful that we’ll get a fair hearing,” he says.
“We feel the original decision was very harsh. We are of the view that we haven’t breached any of the regulations and that’s why we’re appealing it.”
Leadership, legacy, and the next generation
Mr Cameron has spent almost three decades with the Hellenic Club, steering it through periods of growth, modernisation and – now – its most ambitious redevelopment in history.
At the heart of that mission is culture.
“My board… never lose sight of the reason that we exist. First and foremost, it’s around the promotion and sustainability of the Greek culture, the Greek language, the Greek heritage, religion…” he says.
“We are a community club, and we’re here for not only our community but the broader community in Canberra as well.”
Ensuring that commitment continues falls heavily on the engagement of Canberra’s Hellenic Australian youth.
“This is something we spend a lot of time on… It really does focus on the youth – that second and third generation and making sure they’re engaged with the Greek community and Greek culture,” he says.
“At the moment, we have a very strong cohort of young Greeks in Canberra who are really proud of their heritage, keen and interested in being involved – whether it’s Hellenic dances, Hellenic Youth Club… We see that as the most important part of ensuring the Hellenic Club continues on with its original objectives.”
