Central Precinct hub development proposed above Central Train Station
Groundbreaking plans to create a bustling jobs and entertainment hub above the historic Central railway station and transform surrounding areas has been revealed by the State Government. Find out more about their plans.
Central Sydney
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Tech giants Atlassian will call Central station home in an extraordinary plan to create a bustling jobs and entertainment hub above the historic railway station.
The State Government has today released its Central Precinct draft strategy, which sets out a proposal to “renew” 24 hectares of land above the historic station, its tracks and adjacent sites.
Under the plan mixed use “city scale” buildings would rise above Central’s historic railyards, stretching from Goulburn to Cleveland streets.
Surrounding areas bordering Chippendale, Ultimo, Surry Hills and Redfern would be transformed with new development and improved public connections to Belmore and Prince Alfred parks.
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Included in the plan is the rezoning of a site dubbed the ‘Western Gateway’, currently occupied by YHA, Henry Deane offices and Adani Apartments Hotel, into the precinct’s focal point.
The $830 million redevelopment would allow for buildings up to 200m tall, include hotel, retail and commercial space and welcome multibillion-dollar company Atlassian by 2024.
Central’s reimagining would generate about 14,600 new jobs in a 24-hour zone of activity.
Described as an “exceptional opportunity” that would “celebrate” the site’s heritage, the government has drawn comparisons between the project and New York’s Hudson Yards and Kings Cross, Euston and Olympic Park in London.
The proposal is linked to a vision of creating 25,000 new jobs in the ‘Sydney Innovation and Technology Precinct’, set to encapsulate government-owned land between Goulburn St and Carriageworks in Eveleigh.
Planning Minister Rob Stokes said the State Significant Precinct would create a “vibrant new hub” in the heart of the CBD.
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“We’re at the beginning of the planning process and I encourage the community to play a role as we start to bring to life this exciting new precinct.” he said.
The draft strategy states that although the site is located at the south of Sydney’s CBD it contains only a “relatively small number of jobs” mainly in offices, retail and hospitality.
The government argues its proposal will provide an important space for jobs in innovation and technology, above an improved transport interchange featuring new Metro and light rail connections.
“Central Precinct will foster the jobs of the future and economic growth through well-connected new commercial hub for Sydney, helping to support new and emerging industries and providing employment space,” the plan states.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore gave her full support to the proposal, saying it was consistent with the City of Sydney’s plan for jobs and growth and displayed a “people-focused and place-led” approach.
“It is essential that Sydney maintains its status as Australia’s leading knowledge based economy and global city, and we can only do that by fostering a culture of innovation,” she said.
“It also provides the opportunity to heal the division created by Central Station, in facilitating better walking connections between Ultimo, Redfern, Surry Hills and the CBD.”
That point was noted in the report, which stated Central was “constrained” by issues including a poor layout, congestion and uneven quality, the report states, while the railways had provided a “physical barrier” to development in the CBD’s southern edges.
The precinct has been broken down into 10 ‘sub-precincts’, which would each undergo different transformations.
It would include the rezoning of a sub-precinct dubbed the ‘Western Gateway’ on Lee St, which would become the “visual marker” for the Central Precinct with the addition of “iconic” new buildings.
The area around Mortuary Station at Regent St would be turned into a mixed-use precinct “responding to the changing urban context of Chippendale”.
Public submissions are open and will be accepted until November 27.
The government hopes the consultation and planning period will be complete in 18 months.