An ambitious and visionary plan to build over rail lines at Sydney’s Central Station will deliver a spectacular new public square and parkland, office space for the startups of the future, more diverse and affordable housing options as well as new city connections.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government’s vision for Central Station will utilise unused space over the current rail corridor to deliver a vibrant destination and provide much needed space for the expansion of the CBD.
“We have a once in a generation opportunity to reimagine this iconic part of our CBD and transform it into a world-class precinct of shops, restaurants, office spaces, parkland and additional housing,” he said.
“This proposal will be another major investment into the future of the Sydney CBD. Our vision will convert Central precinct into a must-visit part of our city for locals as well as for domestic and international tourists.
“It will be a major job generating project and will inject further local and global business investment into the Sydney CBD.
“The NSW Government’s ambitious plan for Central also focuses on further boosting housing supply, including prioritising much-needed affordable housing.”
Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes said the Central Precinct Renewal would extend the southern CBD and use transport assets to shape almost 24 hectares of empty space into “something magnificent”.
“The masterplan celebrates the heritage of the precinct while also offering a grand new public square, three new parks, new community, social services hubs as well as at least 30 percent of affordable and diverse housing to better meet the needs of all sections of the community,” he said.
“This proposal will heal parts of our city that have been torn apart since the railway divided Surry Hills from Ultimo back in 1874. The proposal includes multiple new over-rail connections including Devonshire Street bridge, to enhance pedestrian and bicycle access through Central Precinct and to surrounding neighbourhoods.”
Key features of the indicative masterplan include:
- Around 850 new dwellings, including 15 per cent affordable housing and an additional target of 15 per cent diverse housing types such as build to rent and student dwellings.
- Around 15 new buildings ranging in size and scale from four to 34 storeys for a range of uses including tech and office space, hotel and residential, bars, restaurants and cafes, education, community and cultural uses.
- More than 60,000 square metres, or just over six football fields of public domain including parks, squares, plazas including Central Square, Central Green and Mortuary Station Garden.
A rezoning package to enable the transformation of the Central precinct is now on public exhibition.
The community will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal from August 22 to September 19.
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