Construction to start for $1b redevelopment of Castle Towers, Castle Hill

Construction timelines for stage one of the $1 billion Castle Towers have been released by developers QIC — bringing to life a pedestrian link to the Castle Hill Sydney Metro station and upgrades to the heart of the centre.

An artist impression of the centre of the redevelopment of Castle Towers. Picture: Supplied

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Construction for stage one of Castle Tower’s $1 billion redevelopment is expected to commence within the next two weeks — bringing to life a pedestrian link to the Castle Hill Sydney Metro station and upgrades to the heart of the centre.

Developers QIC received approval for the billion dollar investment into their Castle Hill retail hub by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel last week, following a series of revisions to plans and a “10 year hiatus on funding” for the groundbreaking redevelopment.

An artist impression of the Marketplace food court connecting the to the Sydney Metro station.

QIC portfolio general manager Ian Coltman revealed exclusively to the Times stage one of the redevelopment would include the pedestrian link to the Sydney Metro and the transformation of the ground level Green car park to a new food marketplace.

“This contemporary new environment will offer delectable choices for those who want to discover cheeses and delicious deli meats, European pastries to handmade dumplings, artisanal cafes and one of Australia’s best seafood operators,” Mr Coltman told the Times.

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He said the new marketplace will see the revitalisation of major retailer Coles and become a location for people to “celebrate food every day in ways the Hills community hasn’t experienced to date”.

“This direct and secure link to the new station will unite with a bustling new food court and meeting place for those coming and going from the station, perfect for grabbing a quick pick-me-up on the go or embracing a new place to linger,” he said.

An artist impression of the stage three redevelopment of Castle Towers.

Stage one of the redevelopment will also include a major facelift to retail space surrounding David Jones on levels two and three at the centre of the shopping centre.

“The innovative new transport and food precinct will be further enhanced by a significant remixing of retail offerings across upper levels above the new space, to enable the introduction of several new big brands to Castle Towers,” he said.

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Following stages of the $1 billion redevelopment includes the upgrade of the Piazza and development of a ‘Heritage Square’ — which would see retail wrapped around the historic Castle Hill Public School and Police Station site — an open-air retail precinct surrounding the soon-to-be-completed Sydney Metro station at Castle Hill and Australia’s best cinema complex.

Mr Coltman said the centre will remain open during the major redevelopment.

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“We have spent time planning a staged transformation for Castle Towers over a multi-year horizon that unlocks the potential of this much-loved community gathering place, and this first stage represents the delivery of our long-held vision,” Mr Coltman said.

“We are committed to working closely with all our retailers and local community throughout this process, so we’ll be sharing plenty of further information over the coming weeks and months.”

Construction comes following unapproved plans for six new skyscrapers after developers behind the retail precinct revealed a proposal for hundreds of apartments, two hotels and commercial space on top of the existing shopping centre.

The proposal calls for the development of two residential towers, 20 and 32-storeys high as well as two commercial office towers ranging from 17 to 18-storeys and two high-rise hotel towers ranging from 13 to 24-storeys in height.

An artist impression of the stage three redevelopment of Castle Towers.