New $150m civic centre will be the catalyst for a new reinvigorated community city precinct
The new Darwin Civic Centre has drawn some heat from opponents who claim the city’s civic leaders have got it wrong with the new home of Darwin’s local government. Read what its builder has to say.
Northern Territory
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The new Darwin Civic Centre has drawn some heat from opponents who claim the city’s civic leaders have got it wrong with the new home of Darwin’s local government.
However, DCOH managing director and CEO Shane Dignan is confident the new Darwin Civic Centre will be the first step in what will be the catalyst for a new, reinvigorated community city precinct.
Mr Dignan, whose company recently completed the sleek new Charles Darwin University city campus, was the successful tenderer to build City of Darwin’s new civic centre.
Council voted unanimously last November in support of the $150 million project to replace its ageing civic centre and council chambers, in partnership with property developer DCOH.
The council/private business partnership will see DCOH own and operate the upper 10 levels of the building’s 20 floors, leasing them for commercial use.
City of Darwin will contribute $77 million on its part of the project and DCOH will contribute around $80 million.
Aside from DCOH’s 10 levels of commercial office space, Darwin Civic Centre will include four floors of carparking, a new library, and a function space, as well as public meeting rooms and community rooms and three levels of open plan staff areas.
City of Darwin will also have 400 square metres of community/commercial space on the lower levels.
DCOH designs, develops, builds and operates a range of projects and Mr Dignan says it has a core philosophy of employing locally, buying locally and reinvesting profits back into the Territory.
Mr Dignan says at its peak, construction of the new Darwin Civic Centre will create more than 500 jobs.
Mr Dignan says those that oppose the building’s design, claiming it is ugly and mediocre, are entitled to their opinion, but he is confident the final product will have widespread public approval.
“We think the building design is outstanding … it is an impressive building,” Mr Dignan said. “This building will be state-of-the-art and those opposed to it, fear that.
“We are very proud to be involved in this project.
“It will be an architectural landmark build designed and engineered by locals.
“Everyone has their own personal opinion about buildings and what they like them to look like … it’s like art.
“People need to understand City of Darwin put out a tender for this project and we tendered and we are delighted to have been successful.
“The Territory’s prosperity requires strong and capable local businesses and companies which are genuinely invested the future.
“We’re tendering on a lot of projects. And it all comes back to our capability and capacity.”
Mr Dignan says with no new A grade property stock being built the joint partnership with City of Darwin is a good fit.
“There is no new A grade office space available in Darwin and Property Council data confirms this,” he said.
“There are those holding B and C grade property around town complaining
“We want this place to move ahead.
“So what we need to do to is encourage young professionals to come here, to have a working environment that is not tired, outdated and 50 years old and they look forward to working out of it each day.
“To attract young professional people, they do not want to be working out of 50 year old buildings.
“We’re confident that the new Darwin Civic Centre is filling a void that currently exists and needs to be filled.”
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Originally published as New $150m civic centre will be the catalyst for a new reinvigorated community city precinct
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