5 Parramatta Square: Councillors back plan for new $130m civic and community centre
There was only one dissenter in councillors’ ringing endorsement of the $130 million civic and community centre redevelopment at 5 Parramatta Square.
Councillors have backed plans for an “iconic” $130 million civic and community centre in Parramatta — the last piece of a $3.2 billion CBD transformation by early 2022.
The latest proposal for a six-floor building at 5 Parramatta Square will include a state-of-the-art library, amphitheatre, council chambers, community meeting rooms and a “digital spire” at the top.
The initial plan cost $50m in 2016, but it was just for the base building. The new development application will include both the proposed “internal functions” and the “building envelope”, the council says.
Early plans for the building were described by former councillors as a “starship enterprise” and it “being to Parramatta what the Opera House is to Sydney”.
However, Parramatta Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson steered clear of similar comparisons, simply saying the new design was to be an “iconic building for the city”.
“It will be a real feature of the whole Parramatta Square project, which I believe will take our city to a whole new level of excellence,” Cr Wilson said.
Asked if the $130m price tag was value for money, he said: “It’s certainly the best value for what we can afford at this time.”
The only dissenter at the council meeting last night was Liberal councillor Bob Dwyer, who fears the high price tag would “gobble up” funds for his North Rocks ward.
Cr Dwyer said he “nearly died” when he saw how much the new “supersonic” building, as well as its maintenance overheads, would cost ratepayers.
“(Council) is bordering on being poor most of the time … and will it mean we won’t have new parks in the future?” he said.
Deputy Mayor Michelle Garrard said she was “excited” by the prospect of the new signature building for the city. And Liberal Steven Issa said it was a “cohesive way” to finish off the Parramatta Square project.
One feature will be an LED screen on the lower levels of the southern facade for multimedia projections, which will be able to display images such as public art and community events.
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