Revealed: First plans for Parramatta metro station

Four high-rises stretching up to 38 storeys are set to sit on top of Parramatta’s new metro station, as local business groups push for the development to be “western Sydney’s Piccadilly Circus”.

The Department of Planning on Friday approved Sydney Metro’s initial concept plans for the station as well as the towers on top of the site, which sits just north of Parramatta Square.

According to the plans, the buildings will contain mostly commercial spaces and some retail, with about 111 residential units across the development.

Now that the initial proposal has been approved, Sydney Metro will choose the company to deliver the project and develop more detailed plans. There are two groups on the shortlist: Lendlease’s construction and development arms, and a consortium of Gamuda Engineering and MTR Corporation, which now runs all of Sydney’s metro services from its operations centre in Sydney’s north-west.

Both groups were contacted for comment. Lendlease and Gamuda declined, and MTR Corporation did not respond.

Sydney Metro also reported that developer Billbergia – which has largely built the high-rise developments in Rhodes and Wentworth Point and is now campaigning to do the same in Rosehill and Camellia – was part of the consortium with Gamuda and MTR. However, two industry sources with direct knowledge of the project but who could not comment publicly confirmed that the company had recently pulled out of the consortium. Billbergia declined to comment.

MTR’s interest in Parramatta’s metro precinct is notable: the Hong Kong-based company runs one of the world’s most profitable metro systems in that city through its property ownership and development arms.

But as plans for Parramatta metro station precinct pick up speed, debate is growing over what exactly the transport hub and surrounding area should become, with local leaders fearing the designs will not have the flair of Sydney CBD’s metro stations.

The Committee for Sydney and Business Western Sydney released a joint paper on Thursday pushing for Parramatta metro station and its surrounding development to become a mixed-use entertainment district with bars, restaurants, galleries and immersive artworks.

According to the lobby groups, the hub would be “akin to western Sydney’s own Piccadilly Circus”.

The report was created after Premier Chris Minns told The Daily Telegraph in March that his government would take a “no frills” approach to the design of the Metro West stations, more akin to prioritising function over form to prevent cost blowouts of the $25.3 billion project.

The stance is a stark contrast to the approach taken to the lavish Sydney city stations, which were recognised for their “legacy-making” design at the 2025 NSW Architecture Awards.

Lobby groups want the state government to back a new vision for the Parramatta metro station (as pictured).Credit: The Committee for Sydney / Business Western Sydney

The average cost of each of those stations was $700 million, according to analysis from the Committee for Sydney and Business Western Sydney. But there is no public information about how much will be spent on each Metro West station.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said the Metro West project should not be treated like a second-class project in terms of design, arguing it was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to deliver a beautiful Parramatta metro station.

Transport Minister John Graham said it was possible to build excellent metro stations on the line while not spending too much.

“If we play it well, we can actually achieve both those things, and we should,” he told the Greater Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park conference on Friday. “The stations and the boxes themselves will really reflect the unique character of the area they’re in, they will be very different.”

Earlier this year, Graham said the stations would not feature as much “elaborate” art as the city stations: “Metro is a rail service. We will focus our art and museums spending on galleries and museums and our metro spending on getting people from A to B as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.

City of Parramatta chief executive Gail Connolly said the council wanted to see the surrounding area brought to life by the new metro, especially the privately owned 95-year-old Roxy Theatre, which has been closed for 11 years now and sits immediately adjacent to the metro station.

“Our view, though, is that the government should step in and take a leadership role and should look to either acquire the site, redevelop it itself, or fund the restoration of the theatre,” she said.

At the conference, Connolly said the council remained open to good quality development, but warned Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan: “Don’t give me any shitty-designed station boxes, Peter.”

The Sydney Morning Herald has opened its bureau in the heart of Parramatta. Email [e-mail] with news tips.