Redfern scheme to spark inner city development

The Perrottet government is seeking to spark the development of a major precinct around inner city Redfern station with a scheme to develop more than 10 hectares of public land.

An artisit’s impression of the redevelopment around Redfern-North Eveleigh.

The Perrottet government is seeking to spark the development of a major precinct around inner city Redfern station with a scheme to develop more than ten hectares of public land into residential, entertainment and technology buildings.

The move would see the areas around the once run-down Redfern station overhauled, with some areas set aside for affordable housing but others also aimed at higher end projects.

Governments have been trying to bolster inner-city markets in the wake of the pandemic, looking to spark activity on under-utilised assets.

Under the plan, the land in Redfern-North Eveleigh would house towers that were a mix of affordable and diverse housing, a start-up hub and an entertainment precinct near the station.

“The Redfern-North Eveleigh precinct is a 10-hectare parcel of inner city public land that has been off limits to the general public for more than a century and provides the perfect place for a new city-shaping precinct,” NSW Minister for Cities Rob Stokes said.

The precincts surrounding Sydney’s Central station are already being transformed with listed heavyweight Dexus developing a new tower for software giant Atlassian and working with developer Frasers on another tech-focused tower.

That building is a key part of the NSW government’s Tech Central precinct, where developer Toga also has a major hotel and office complex planned.

The old railyards at Redfern.

Mr Stokes said the latest scheme would transform the old railyards by restoring and protecting their heritage value, building new homes and offices, while creating more than 14,000 square metres of public space, including a new town square and public parkland.

“Just as we’ve seen at Carriageworks, this plan will celebrate Redfern’s deep Indigenous connection and industrial past while creating a new precinct that accommodates people to live and work in the inner city,” he said.

The area will have a target of 30 per cent diverse housing, half of which must be social and affordable housing. The draft masterplan is focused on the Paint Shop sub-precinct, named after the 135-year-old red brick Victorian workshop where trains were overhauled up until 1988.

The 6,000sq m Paint Shop building will be adaptively re-used and there will be new public parkland near the Chief Mechanical Engineer’s building and a square near Carriageworks and the Paint Shop.

There are plans for up to 450 new homes, around 8000 jobs during construction and up to 16,000 jobs once activated. Building heights will range from three to 28 storeys.

“The Paint Shop building provides an incredible canvas to re-imagine Redfern-North Eveleigh into a thriving place in the heart of the inner city,” Mr Stokes said.

“The revitalisation of the area around Redfern Station will be complemented by the upcoming plans to redevelop the area around Central Station, book-ending Tech Central with two world-class precincts and transport hubs,” he added.

Transport for NSW is working closely with the Transport Asset Holding Entity, the site owner on the renewal scheme.

Originally published as Redfern scheme to spark inner city development