#UC: CIVIC PLACE - Parramatta

[CULWULLA]

thought i would start the official thread for this massive project!
Ive just chatted to one of town planners involved with this project and he said there will be two towers up to 120m in height!!! the other 2 will be approx 60-80m high! this is greeat news! the tallest towers are lined along darcy street and will start in 12 months!
heres some old pix-

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/SCAN001.jpg


http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/D18_15.jpg

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_04.jpg

Leigh Memorial Church with new spire!

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/SCAN005_09.jpg

The Civic Place Master Plan
Parramatta's Civic Place Master Plan is now finalised and ready for the next stage in its development.

The Master Plan is ambitious and almost unprecedented in New South Wales in its scale and aspirations. It addresses some three hectares of central business district land, offering the bold opportunity to link existing historic retail, civic and spiritual places and provide an expansive setting for the prestigious buildings that will occupy the area.

The Civic Place Master Plan uses planning strategies to articulate the reshaping of Parramatta into an inspirational city centre.

The vision for Parramatta is to breathe life into the City through stylish, high quality development and attract additional jobs for Western Sydney. It will provide the platform to attract long term investment.

Building on NSW Government's $100 million public transport infrastructure investment -- the city will be enhanced at the arrival from the rail/bus transport interchange into the bustling vista of modern commercial buildings and public enterprise built around public squares and plazas.

The Civic Place Master Plan will not only rekindle the physical outlook of Parramatta, but reshape pride in the Heart of Sydney's West.

Parramatta City Council will seek a private sector development partner to bring its expertise and innovation and develop Civic Place to a reality. The process of selecting a partner will commence in mid-2003. It will take the form of a public expression of interest, which will result in a shortlist of possible development partners.

[Fabian]

Parramatta Council is today calling for expressions of interest from a private sector partner.

I have also found out the entire development is set to cost $900 million.:D !!! It just shows how big this one is going to be.

[brizer]

Check article in today's Financial Review.
Can some-one with a scanner do the honours?

[CULWULLA]

didnt scan but photgraphed it.lol
the article says it will cost $900mil and there will be two office tower with 65,000sqm of office space (Sydney Water has committed to move its HQ to one tower, and negotiations are underway for a 26,000sqm committment from NSW Dept of Commmerce!) Also two apartment towers with 800 units..and 5,000sqm of retail!
In June the council will shortlist a number of parties to devlope and finace the proposals and winner should be known at years end.
Developemnt giants- Multiplex, Grocon,Investa Group, Australand,Leightons and Lend Lease have expressed interest!!! WOW!!

clip of aerial

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/126civicplacepaper.jpg

[Brizer]

NSW POLICE HQ, Parramatta, by Bates Smart and recently completed, is featured in the May/June issue of Aa ARCHITECTURE AUSTRALIA.
Very Modernist, very cool, and a good start to the Civic Place precinct. If the rest of the buildings are this good it is going to be impressive in more than just size.

[Fabian]

They are still continuing to accquire properties on the site of the development. This week it was announced that the council had accquired Macquarie House at a cost of $15 million. This now means that 82 % of buildings on the site have now been accquired by council.

Here are some further details in relation to Civic Place

*65,000m² commercial office space
*35,000m² new retail space
*6000m² of community space
*up to 800 residential dwellings
*pedestrian links with new transport hub,

[ParraMan]

Based on latest figures I can find (Asutralian Property Web, Colliers Jardine and JLL and allowing for slight differences between their respective figures), the project will add more than 10% to Parramatta's existing office stock, up from ~590,000 sqm to ~650,000 sqm. Putting it into such figures for me at least gives me a great idea of the scale of the project.

Problematically, it also adds about 17% to the retail floorspace (up from about 200,000sqm to about 235,000sqm). Considering the problems already facing retail property in Parramatta, I am oncerned about the effect this, and Westfield's extension will have on vacancies in Parra. Oh well, hopefully more space will encourage more shoppers and a new sort of retailer to Parramatta and hopefully succeed where Riverbank has pretty much failed.

[ParraMan]

Parra City Council has shortlisted four developers for the project, happily enough, all of them big!
Grocon,
Bovis Lend Lease,
Leighton Properties/James Fielding Trust/ISPT and
Multiplex

Who should it be? I would prefer it not to be the Leighton et al partnership, but the other three I can't choose between.

Click here (http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/news/20040603_347.html) to view council's media release.

[CULWULLA]

saw a news story last night about this massive project. should al be completed in 5 years! wow. cant wait to see some action!

[Brizer]

SMH 22 sept. page 2:
"Project back on track
The Civic Place development in Parramatta is under way again after the $1 billion project stalled to take account of the recommendations of the Daly report on Liverpool council's Oasis project. Work is expected to begin next year on retail, commercial and residential towers."

[Trances]

yes saw on news to
but very short
also seem the ammount has gone up
has the scale of the project been revised as well ?

[Brizer]

Sloppy journalism is a possibility.

[SinCity]

Yes, these project is looming, therefore good idea for a thread.

[Favco750]

I saw a white crane in Parra somewhere today, but the weather turned soft (or was that me) so I stopped looking for it. Anyone got any pictures up close of the crane?????????

[CULWULLA]

any action yet?

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

Not at all. I would be happy to see any action there by the end of next year....

[Muse]

This thread is here for the long haul.

[finn]

The first significant thing to happen will be the Sydney Water HQ...and seeing as I'm involved in it I'll tell you that there won't be any significant start on the building till the end of next year. We only just finalised the Request For Tender documents for the building a couple of weeks ago, so they are still filtering through the upper levels of Sydney Water before being issued, and then there's the evaluation and selection process, negotiation process, council approval process etc etc. You are very right Muse...this thread is here for the long haul.

[climbing_crane]

where is it

[Muse]

To the immediate north of Parra Station.

A scan from Architecture Australia, Jan/Feb 2003. No detail, overhead block diagram.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/Muse11/parra1.jpg

[Blue_Copper]

favco750 that white crane probaly was the one on westfields

[Fabian]

I'm sure favco was refering to the white crane on the site of 134 Argyle Street.

[Blue_Copper]

lol my bad.

[CULWULLA]

BIG NEWS TODAY.
looks like contruction giant- GROCON , are going to be chosen as Tender for the Civic Place project.

[SinCity]

Cool Stuff. I also hear that once the tender is announced we'll get to see in detail the renders of the project from the 2 shortlisted. :)

[ParraMan]

Good news!!! Thanks- I go now to quickly check Parra Council and grocon websites....Cheers

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

I saw a little crane on the Civic Place site in full action tonight! (I know this is something to do with the neighbouring Interchange). But hopefully we'll see some real action there fairly soon like Sydney Water Building u/c or perhaps demolition of the remaining buildings on the site....

[thewreckoning88]

when will the civic place be completed?

[CULWULLA]

It has to start first.
The first tower supposed to start 2006 and the the next 3 towers will follow. i reckon 5-10 years before whole complex is done.

[Muse]

2 Articles from http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au

Civic Place Passes Another Gateway

21 March 2005

Parramatta City Council last week decided to proceed with two parties into the next stage of selection of development partner.

Parramatta's billion dollar Civic Place redevelopment project has passed through another gateway decision.

The Parramatta Civic Place urban renewal involves the redevelopment of a three hectare city block whilst showcasing important Australian heritage. It will include integration of heritage buildings and Environmentally Sustainable Development initiatives across the site.

Council has invited Grocon and Multiplex into the Proposal Negotiation period and will be issuing the Request for Tender documents. Those Request for Tender documents will be issued in April.

It is anticipated the Request for Tender process will take three months, with negotiations scheduled to be completed in August.

Council accepted a recommendation from its Civic Place Management Committee that a tender to the two parties best satisfies Council objectives, complies with the intent of the Request for Proposals process, and optimises the best commercial return for the residents of Parramatta.

Parramatta's public transport interchange - now well under way - and Civic Place represent major urban renewal projects centred on the railway station. Civic Place will result in 4800 long term jobs and about 6000 indirect and construction jobs, giving the local economy an immediate boost.

The State Government-approved Master Plan proposes:

* 65,000m² commercial office space

* 5,000m² new retail space planned to enhance the shopping experience available within Parramatta CBD and fill gaps identified in the current retail mix

* 6000m² of community space, including a new central library, council offices and other community facilities

* Up to 800 residential dwellings

...and

Council down to one runner in race for Civic Place

30 August 2005

Parramatta City Council passed another milestone last night in pursuit of its billion dollar Civic Place redevelopment.

Councillors resolved to reject all tenders, in accord with the Local Government Act, and enter into direct negotiations with a preferred tenderer


The Council will now enter into an eight week negotiation phase to try and finalise a development agreement acceptable to both parties. The negotiations will be commercial in confidence discussions.

"We are at the last leg of a long race and are down to a final runner, however that runner still has to perform well to finish the race or all bets are off," Parramatta City Lord Mayor Cr David Borger said.

"Councillors made it very clear last night, that they support the development of Civic Place for Parramatta, however they made it very clear that it will not be Civic Place at any cost."

"We still have concerns about the financial and sustainability aspects of the preferred proponent's proposal and as custodians of community property will not be agreeing to any deal that is not in the best interest of Parramatta."

The Lord Mayor said that the proposal will also need endorsement from the Department of Local Government's Project Review Committee, to comply with recently approved Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) legislation.

"If it goes ahead, the Civic Place project will be the largest city centre redevelopment in Western Sydney in this decade and the next. Parramatta currently has billions of dollars worth of investment being planned in the City over the next five years - Civic Place is by far the largest. It is easily the biggest urban transformation planned for the City since it was founded 217 years ago," Cr Borger said.

Parramatta's public transport interchange - now well under way - and Civic Place represent major urban renewal projects centred on the railway station.

[Muse]

Illustration vs model:

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/SCAN001.jpg

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_01.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_02.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_03.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_04.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_05.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_06.jpg
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_07.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_08.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_09.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_10.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_11.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_12.jpg
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_13.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_14.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_15.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_16.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_17.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_18.jpg
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_19.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_20.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_21.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_22.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_23.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_24.jpg
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_25.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_26.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_27.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_28.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_29.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_30.jpg
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_31.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_32.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_33.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_34.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_35.jpghttp://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/A2_36.jpg

[Muse]

BTW On Emporis, it has 2006 & 2007 as completion dates Civic Place (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/cx/?id=108539)

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/5991/civicplace2zm.jpg

[Brizer]

Emporis also gives the number of floors on two of the buildings as 40 at 120m/394'.
The illustrations show nothing over 20 and 120m is kind of tight for a 40 storey office building, apartments maybe. Also, the project is indicated as 'under construction' - have I missed something?

[Italo-Australian]

Parra COuncil is sure as hell taking a gamble. But good on to them for have the balls.:)

[CULWULLA]

brizer, that render is a sort of "masterplan". Ive talked to a parra planner recently and these towers wil go to 40storeys which he reckons will be 120m.The first tower will go to approx 90m.
I was told by someone that the first tower site has been cleared, thats whyi edited emporis. let me know if it if needs changing
cheers

[Fabian]

I was told by someone that the first tower site has been cleared, thats whyi edited emporis. let me know if it if needs changing
cheers

Yes, if they are refering to the area around the cnr of Smith & Darcy St's. That site has been cleared for the past few years. Isn't it where 1 Smith St will be (Sydney Water HQ) which appears as part of the development?

[CULWULLA]

so 1 smith st is the first tower? that makes sense.its still being designed.hopefully the final plans will be decided upon soon.
cheers

[SinCity]

The Smith street tower which is actually the new Waterboard building is shown in the render above (first one of 3). Its only 16 levels which means it will be approx 65m. I sure hope the other towers will be bigger but I somehow doubt this will happen. I hope I am wrong but to me it seems most of the buildings will go 20 levels max .... if that :(

[Brizer]

Thanks, Cul. At 40 storeys, I'm impressed but still puzzled by the 120m height as most 40 storeyed office buildings tend to be somewhat higher given the higher floor heights required for office buildings. Still, they are going to make quite a sight from a distance and an impressive impact up close.

[CULWULLA]

from todays fin rev, Grocon have officially got the project and will sign contract asap. Construction will commence in 2007.

[ParraMan]

^^yeah just read about the State Gov approving of the Public-Private-partnership for this. There really is a lot of (bureaucratic) stuff to go through to get started on a project of this size. Looking forward to seeing a start next year! will have been worth the wait

[Aussie Steve]

Civic Place gets PPP approval (http://www.parramatta.nsw.gov.au/news/20060614_553.html)
14 June 2006

Parramatta's Civic Place development has passed a key milestone with confirmation that the $1.4 billion, three hectare project meets the new rigorous Public Private Partnerships (PPP) guidelines set by the Department of Local Government.

"This is fantastic news for Parramatta's residents. Our Civic Place development meets the new rigorous guidelines, and justifies the years of careful planning and negotiating Council undertook as part of the process," Parramatta City Lord Mayor Cr David Borger said.

"Now we are just one month away from the final sign off with Grocon and closer to all the benefits Civic Place will bring, including the 8,800 extra jobs to Parramatta, magnificent new community facilities, inspirational architectural diversity and environmental sustainability."

Grocon's Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Grollo, also welcomed the PPP approval.

"Grocon is looking forward to creating a new civic heart for Parramatta, a place where community facilities, business, retail, culture and public spaces all converge," he said.

"This is great news for Grocon and for Parramatta."

The Director General of the Department of Local Government advised Council in writing that the Local Government Project Review Committee has assessed the development as complying with the 'Guidelines on the Procedures and Processes to be followed by Local Government in Public-Private Partnerships', subject to standard conditions being met.

Tanya Gadiel, State Member for Parramatta said that Civic Place was an exciting development for the City.

'I want to congratulate Parramatta City Council for satisfying the stringent requirements necessary for such a project. It's a credit to all involved," she said.

The Lord Mayor said the Civic Place development is the biggest CBD urban revitalisation project in NSW in this decade and features a mix of different uses including retail, commercial, residential, community, council, civic and entertainment.

Great cities need to be creative places. Parramatta needs to be a good place to work but also to live, night and day. Central to our Civic Place development is a revitalised library, gallery and new media space,� Cr Borger said.

"Once Civic Place is completed, young people in Western Sydney will finally be able to find all the services and attractions they need right here and the talent drain of creative young people leaving Western Sydney in droves for the bright lights and urban villages of Sydney will end."

Exciting features of Civic Place include:
Five linked outdoor public spaces - each with their own character, based on European style piazzas
An extensive public art program - local community consultation and involvement
The first independent cinema in Western Sydney
A new media art gallery
A market hall to invigorate the public spaces
Improved community and Council facilities including a new library and child care centre
Respectful treatment of Parramatta's famed heritage
Buildings in Civic Place will set new environmental standards by adopting leading environmentally sustainable principles including grey water recycling, 4.5 star ABGR ratings and zero stormwater run-off throughout the site.

As part of the development of Civic Place, design competitions will be held for most new buildings. A major requirement of the competitions will be to set a new standard of architectural design in Parramatta.

Construction is expected to begin late next year and it is anticipated that the whole project will be completed by 2014.

[MILIUX]

"Once Civic Place is completed, young people in Western Sydney will finally be able to find all the services and attractions they need right here and the talent drain of creative young people leaving Western Sydney in droves for the bright lights and urban villages of Sydney will end."

Why the heck do they want to attract teens who bludge schools, have their shirt out, with big attitude problem and only hangs out in Shopping centre and park bench? These are the kids to get rid of, not to attract them!!

[James Saito]

Why the heck do they want to attract teens who bludge schools, have their shirt out, with big attitude problem and only hangs out in Shopping centre and park bench? These are the kids to get rid of, not to attract them!!


I think he meant "young professionals".

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

Construction is expected to begin late next year??? :bash:

[lennyr]

I can't wait to see some of the designs. Hope its better than EDH

[MILIUX]

So all these developments are office? No residential?

And the majority of the tenants are government departments?

[Muse]

The article above states "The Lord Mayor said the Civic Place development is the biggest CBD urban revitalisation project in NSW in this decade and features a mix of different uses including retail, commercial, residential, community, council, civic and entertainment.

Like Parramatta is short of residential developments as it is, NOT.

Has it been established that most of the tenants will be Government Departments? There may be enough space in small pockets for a some [private] businesses as well. ATM The State Government-approved Master Plan proposes 65,000m² commercial office space, which is not really a lot overall so time will tell.

I can't wait to see some of the designs. Hope its better than EDHWe've only seen the massing models for EDH & no final designs for the buildings, such as we only have for Civic Place. Both will be works in progress.

I wonder what is meant by "The first independent cinema in Western Sydney". I guess that means a Palace or Dendy complex.

Thanks for posting the article Aussie Steve. :okay:

Parra has enough developments going on to keep our interest happening in the meantime, so waiting until next year for construction to begin and ending around 2014 will come sooner than it sounds. It only seems like yesterday that they announced the Parrama...excuse me, Epping to Chatswood rail link and now its opening is almost upon us.

[ParraMan]

It's all ready to go!

Parramatta's Civic Place Agreement Signed
21 July 2006

Parramatta's Lord Mayor, Cr David Borger, today signed a development agreement for the city's $1.4 billion, 3 hectare development, Civic Place, with Daniel Grollo, Chief Executive Officer of Grocon.



"The private sector now has a unique opportunity to get involved in the biggest urban revitalisation project in NSW. This development gives the two million people who live in Western Sydney an exciting new city centre,’ Cr Borger said.

"Civic Place is going to transform Parramatta. I believed it years ago when I first heard about Council's vision for the site and today I believe it more than ever."

The Department of Local Government confirmed last month the development was one of the first to meet its new and rigorous Public Private Partnerships (PPP) guidelines.

The development agreement requires Grocon to recruit tenants to the site and the Council will obtain new facilities including a library, community and cultural spaces and five open areas.

Grocon's CEO, Daniel Grollo, said the company was looking forward to establishing a base in Parramatta by the end of the year, and working with the local community in what will be the company's biggest development and construction project.

"Grocon has experience with similar mixed use developments at No 1 Martin Place in Sydney, and QV, the transformation of a central city block in Melbourne," he said.

"It’s an exciting time to be involved in the revitalisation of Parramatta and to bring a new civic heart to the city."

The Lord Mayor said the Civic Place development features many different uses, including retail, commercial, residential, community, council, civic and entertainment.

"At the heart of Civic Place will be a revitalised library, gallery and new media space. Some people say that the arts are not important because the tangible benefits of art and culture are hard to grasp â€" but not having them and not investing in them deprives our young people in Western Sydney of a cultural heritage," Cr Borger said.

"I have said before one of the biggest challenges facing Western Sydney is a talent drain of creative young people leaving the area in droves for the bright lights and urban villages of Sydney and I am going to keep saying that until the talent drain begins to stop."

"If cities in Western Sydney like Parramatta, Penrith and Liverpool are going to thrive and become the regional river cities as highlighted in the NSW Metropolitan Strategy, then we must keep and attract young, talented people. The only way we can do that is to ensure these cities become culturally interesting places."

Exciting features of Civic Place include:


Five linked outdoor public spaces - each with its own character, based on European style piazzas;
An extensive public art program with local community consultation and involvement;
The first independent cinema in Western Sydney;
A new media art gallery;
A market hall to invigorate public spaces;
Improved community and Council facilities including a new library and child care centre and
Respectful treatment of Parramatta's famed heritage.
Buildings in Civic Place will set new standards by adopting leading environmentally sustainable principles including grey water recycling, 4.5 star ABGR ratings and zero stormwater run-off throughout the site.

Design competitions will be held for most of the new buildings in Civic Place. A major requirement of the competitions will be to set a new standard of architectural design in Parramatta.

Construction is expected to begin late next year and it is anticipated the project will be completed by 2014.

[CULWULLA]

excellent! go grocon. as i thought ,each skyscraper in Civic place will go to design comp. great.. thank god they wont be the slabs in masterplan.I hope they do what a parra council planner told me recently. that they can go to 40storeys if they want. or 120m.lets hope atleast 1 goes to this height and others not under 90m. should thrust parra into 21stC.
cheers

[SinCity]

^^ Yep, I sure hope so too. :yes:

[Muse]

I've been searching and searching for some newer renders without success of Civic Place in the NSW section that someone posted a few months back, mainly from street level. Anyone know where they might be?

[MILIUX]

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/civic_place02.jpg

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/civic_place03.jpg

[Muse]

Thankyou!!!!!!!!

[sydney_lad]

^^^^

That looks great!

[Fabian]

I haven't seen them but they are sensational. The towers are massive :)

[MILIUX]

Here's more

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/civic_place01.jpg

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/civic_place09.jpg

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/civicplace/images/civic_place11.jpg

Official website for Civic Place
http://www.parramattafirst.com/parraweb/main/index.php?ch_table=link2

inside that website, you can see video footages.

[CULWULLA]

i hope they put the spire back up on the memorial church. that was such a prominent landmark back in its day. all 44m of it.

[SinCity]

Parramatta needs to go the way of Chatswood. Its the only way it will grow.

So far things are looking good. I have to say I cant wait to see Civic Place finally start.

[Fabian]

Parramatta is going the way of Chatswood. These towers are just the start. :)

[shaggers_jr]

Does anyone else think these renders have a hint of the UNSW architecture school and the precint around it? Is it the same architects by any chance?

[MILIUX]

it does. They somehow love the modern Dutch architecture.

[CULWULLA]

no 1 smith st or Sydney Water Tower is first tower to commence. Altius has said could be any day. It will be 17floors at 26,000sqm? im estimating 70m high
I contacted parra council and a planner will hopefully send me elevations/plans/render tommorrow. ill let you know results.
watch this space.

[CULWULLA]

HERE WE GO!
interesting design!. It has a seperate service core! im impressed. but DCM always impress me.
the podium foyer areas are brilliant! ill add this sydney monthly diagrams.

It will become parras 4th tallest bldg OR 3rd highest above sea level!

1-Escen-84m (RL100m)
2-Jessie st centre-83m (RL93m)
3-Colonial Bank-81m (RL88m)
4-Sydney Water HQ-76m (RL90m)

HEIGHT TO COREs-76M (RL90M)
HEIGHT TO ROOF-69M
NUMBER OF FLOORS- 17 + 5 BASEMENTS=TOTAL 22
TOWER WIDTH-65M
ARCHITECTS- DCM
COST-$77,667,000
reminds me a bit of Jessie st centre. not much smaller.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8418/1smithrenderlq6.jpg

SITE

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/4381/1smithsitebj6.jpg


north elevation
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/3620/1smithnorthelvecolourlp6.jpg

east elev
love the signage
http://img318.imageshack.us/img318/7262/1smitheastelveg4.jpg

south elv
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8158/1smithsouthelvak6.jpg

west elev

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/192/1smithwestelevuz7.jpg

WOODS BAGOT got the landscaping

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5371/1smithlandscapehe4.jpg

[Fabian]

Thats Huge for Parramatta!!!! It will be noticeable. Love the podium. Fantastic :)

[CULWULLA]

and the planner told me this will be the "baby" of the 4 Civic place towers!
this had a height limit envelope of 62m, and its ended up 76m. excellent.

[Aussie Steve]

That is a great design. Looking forward to more developemnt out west.

[Muse]

Thanks CULWULLA. Looks good for Parra.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

Yeah, that's the one Cul! SWC Tower will be awesome! Other Civic Place towers may be taller but this one will probably be the most technologically advanced (solar panels on top, windows made of special glass to maximise energy efficiency, extensive use of recycled and rainwater and even the waterless toilets!) :)

[Fabian]

The site of 1 Smith St

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Fabian/PB090243.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Fabian/PB090248.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Fabian/PB090245.jpg

[Fabian]

Poked my camera through the fence last week....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Fabian/Construction/P2090414.jpg

[cammo2004]

Wow, didn't realise that's where Civic Place was. Going to be a nice cluster, this one, particularly that close to the station.

Now... Will the station cope?

[Fabian]

It will. The station has been built for the future and was designed to cater for increases in the working population!!!!

It's on par with the CBD stations :)

[CULWULLA]

Utlilities Minister David Campbell turned the first sod of soil yesterday for the Sydney Water project.He said the "new Parramatta" effectively starts today!

[Fabian]

Already???? Here we go :)
Let the new era for Parramatta begin.

[Muse]

^^ Indeed Fabian. Parramatta is indeed entering a new era for Parra to begin! :cheers:

Utilities Minister David Campbell turned the first sod of soil yesterday for the Sydney Water project. He said the "new Parramatta" effectively starts today!^^ Continuing on from that below and also see CULWULLA post#64 in this thread above with renders, elevations and maps...


From yesterday's Fin Rev Weds. 7th March, 2007, on page 55:

Sydney Water hopes new HQ makes others green

Ashely Midalla

Sydney Water has started construction of its Parramatta head office, hoping it will become a flagship of environmental sustainability.

The office block - to be built, owned and maintained by Mulitplex Group - expects to receive a five-star rating with the Green Building Council of Australia's green star rating scheme.

"This office block will use 80% less water than a traditional office block," Sydney Water Managing Director Kerry Scott said.

"What we wanted was a building we could bring our clients to and show them what they can do."

Mains water will be used almost exclusively for drinking, supplemented by rain water collected in a rooftop tank that will be used in toilets and the cooling system.

Waste water will also be recycled via a plant located in the basement.

NSW Water Utilities Minister David Campbell turned the first sod yesterday and the 17-story, 23,000 sqm office block is due for completion in 2009.

Multiplex said the tower, designed by Denton Corker Marshall, would cost $170
million.

It follows the construction by Multiplex of the nearby Parramatta Police Building and will make the company the largest commercial property owner in Parramatta.

"The rebirth of Parramatta is effectively starting right here," Multiplex Capital Managing Director Ian O'Toole said.

The relocation of Sydney Water is part of a greater influx of business to Parramatta, according to local Labor MP Tanya Gadiel.

"Parramatta is not what it was 20 years ago, there's been a massive development of our city," she said.

The new building will accommodate 1,350 Sydney Water employees. Dr Schott said some of them would be inconvenienced by the move away from the Sydney CBD location Sydney Water has occupied since 1891.

"Parramatta is the centre of the universe in terms of population," he said. It makes Sense for us to be here.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

It has finally started!! The first activity spotted yesterday. They are preparing the site atm. The full scale construction will commence mid-year and Sydney Water building will be complete in the first half of 2009.... :banana:

[Fabian]

Have they fenced off any parts of the carpark?

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

No, the SW site has been fenced off for a long time. I think the car park is not a part of the Sydney Water site??

[Fabian]

I don't know because the footprint of the tower appears to include the carpark as well.

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/4381/1smithsitebj6.jpg

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

I reckon the footprint is confined to the site already fenced off. The carpark is clearly outside that area. btw, the excavation work has started
Cheers

[CULWULLA]

^yes on March 6 the first sod of soil was dug. excellnt

[Avatar]

I like the colour, shape and difference this one offers. It will be a welcom addition to parra for sure.

I would have liked to see it double the height though, would have looked even more awesome with than slender aspect at 30 floors.

[CULWULLA]

hopefully some of the other towers will get some height.last time i talked to parra planner he said maybe 100-120m tall. lets hope.

[Austraarabian]

The new Civic place will have western Sydney's first independent cinema. I take it a Dendy. A new massiv library, Piazza-style public spaces, BRAND NAME shopping - NO LOWES, restaurant and entertainment and as you all saw a massive screen (it would be very sad if the suburbs got a screen before our city did).

Also, there is an approved art gallery and it looks good! It will link the new library and heritage centre. Its supposed to be a unique one. Such as NEW MEDIA. Art thru modern hi tech technology with installations and sounds. There is also going to be a MARKET HALL. There will also be sculptures and designs.

A design competition will be held for each building.

The Civic Place is not due to start construction until late 2008. Grocon will develop it. See you in CIVIC PLACE.

[fro]

Sounds great!! Where did you get all the info on Civic Place Austraarabian? The Parramatta Council website is pretty light on the details.

[Austraarabian]

From the actual council. I was in Parramatta last Friday. Yes, to be honest even they didnt know much, that was all they knew. But not due to complete until 2014 and start late next yr. Towers havent even been designed yet.

[CULWULLA]

i think we all know its going to take many years to build Civic Place and ive mentioned countless times the towers havent been designed yet, only masterplan blocks.
And civic place has started with commencement of the Waterboard building.

[Muse]

How 1 Smith Street's ESD principles will work. Nice enough cross-section too:

http://www.sydneywater.com.au/WhoWeAre/OneSmithStreet/images/ParramattaBuilding.jpg

An article about it from http://www.sydneywater.com.au - Click on the links provided thoughout the article marked in blue for pics, renders, PDF files etc:

Sydney Water to move into Multiplex leading ESD building (http://www.sydneywater.com.au/WhoWeAre/MediaCentre/MediaView.cfm?id=367)


...and from http://www.multiplex.biz

ESD FEATURES OF THE SYDNEY WATER BUILDING

* Greenhouse gas emissions will be cut by about 30 per cent and the building will use 75 per cent less drinking water than an equivalent commercial office building. The reduction in water used at the site will also reduce the flow of wastewater to the sewerage system by up to 90 per cent.

* An onsite wastewater recycling plant will be installed to provide recycled water for toilet flushing, cooling towers, fire system testing and irrigation.

* A 100,000 litre rainwater tank will provide additional water for toilets and cooling towers.

* Solar heating panels will be installed to supplement hot water requirements.

* A high performance glass façade will be used, with shading that will control the heat load entering the building without limiting natural light.

* Where possible, construction materials will be made from renewable sources or have a high recycled content, and have been produced with minimal greenhouse gas production and ozone depletion.

* Chilled beam cooling will be used instead of conventional air conditioning. Chilled beams work through the introduction of chilled water through cooling elements in the ceiling. Rising warm air is cooled by the chilled beams and then descends, due to natural convection.

* Air quality and the office environment will be improved, as fresh air is continually provided into the building and removed without being recycled. This significantly improves the office work environment and reduce the risk of ‘sick building’ syndrome.

* State of the art water conservation including water efficient toilets, showers and taps. A building management system will monitor water and energy use to minimise leaks and waste.

* The building is located next to a major public transport interchange and will contain showers, bike racks and other facilities to encourage staff to commute in healthier, more sustainable ways.

* Internally, the building will be designed to encourage teamwork and break down organisational boundaries. It will be welcoming to the community with a generous façade and public access areas.

[ParraMan]

I really have to get out and around the place again with my camera. I pass this every day pretty much, but after dark. At the moment it's a huge deep hole in the ground, probably 4 levels deep. Hoardings were arected a month ago or so.

Cheers

[CULWULLA]

^thanks for letting us know. info like that comes in handy for monthly diagrams.
ta muse. green roofs are becoming popular.

[RSG]

I want to see what other sydneysiders thoughts are on this project. Here is a link to what I am talking about:

http://www.parramattafirst.com.au/parraweb/main/index.php?ch_table=link2

At the moment, Parramatta City Coucil is appealing the Land and Environment Court's decision to allow two property owners not to sell. My opinion is that they should sell for the price mentioned and then this fantastic project can get underway.

It is a shame that the property owners are selfish and want a lot more money than what the property is worth. Maybe an idea would be not to sell but use their land as an investment into the project and have a small share. After all it is a $1.4 billion project.

[Fabian]

That has gone on for the past 2-3 years. Cannot the council or the state compulsorily acquire the properties?

This is a project of state significance.

[Brizer]

Frank?! Where the bloody hell are ya?!

[Joelby]

That has gone on for the past 2-3 years. Cannot the council or the state compulsorily acquire the properties?



Or just bump them off.

It should be compulsorily acquired, it's of massive significance. :bash:

[Fabian]

of State significance... :)

[Joelby]

our state's massive :-P

[CULWULLA]

hurry up sydney water, so we can demolish your current HQ in bathurst st!

[Fabian]

Good thing is that the dispute wont affect the Sydney Water HQ. I plan to be in Parramatta as early as next week to check it's progress.

There has been no update in months.

[Fabian]

Yesterday

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/7628/dscf0662ct4.jpg

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/7744/dscf0661wf1.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3433/dscf0675eh7.jpg

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3848/dscf0659td6.jpg

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4334/dscf0660qe0.jpg

[CULWULLA]

hmm? its been 11 weeks since last update. anyone know status. i require something for monthly updates.
cheers

[Fabian]

Parraman posted a few weeks back that the core is two levels above ground. Just need some confirmation.

[CULWULLA]

where did he post it? he probably didnt know about this thread. bugger

[Fabian]

Parramatta Projects thread.

[ParraMan]

Yeah sorry guys I've been pretty slack, only get on to the site when I got a day of.... today I guess!

Currently Sydney Water core is 3 above ground and was yesterday close to being four...

I know about this thread, but didn't think of it as Civic Place....which is looking like a bit of a long-term dogfight due to the intransigence of certain property owners along Darcy Street.... Council is apparently in discussion with the owners and "expect to reach a compromise soon".....

Cheers!

[Fabian]

Still going. It should of been resolved years ago.

The last time I was in Parramatta, I ate at the Hungry Jacks if I can recall was on one of the disputed properties. I regret eating there, as eating elsewhere meant that they didn't get my dough and the lower earnings would force them out.

We should avoid eating there to hasten their removal :)

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

The whole story is hard to swallow. A couple of stupid dicks are able to stop the whole Civic Place development and the Court is on their side! :bash::bash::bash:

What compromise? Give those dicks a note to move out in 2 months and start demolishing the whole block, that's it!

[CULWULLA]

posted by naochos

core now lev8 or 35m high/ well on its way to become parras 4th tallest
Core rise for the new Waterboard Building, pic from train again

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/9059/dsc00152qe6.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/696/dsc00153hr9.jpg

[ParraMan]

^^ Can't see piccies, but I got a day off again :)

Core is at level 9, floorplates on level two now. Going up pretty quick these days!

Cheers

[CULWULLA]

^thanks
lev9 = 40m,
so its now officially a skyscraper.
will standout in parra even now.

[Fabian]

The core appears just as big as the Parramatta Council building itself.

[CULWULLA]

isnt the council bldg scheduled for demolition?

[Fabian]

It's supposed to be. It doesnt seem to be any sign of offices moving out. Parramatta council's Customer Service Centre is still there.

[finn]

It's supposed to be. It doesnt seem to be any sign of offices moving out. Parramatta council's Customer Service Centre is still there.

They'll have to relocate somewhere, so maybe they need to build new premises before moving out? In which case that tower could be around for a few more years.

[CULWULLA]

posted by deanh today
fl 11 in core
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5173/parra1404081oq8.jpg

[Fabian]

According to todays SMH, the reason why the rest of the development is being held up is because they still havent resolved the matter regarding the accquistion of three properties. They were compulsorily accquired by Parramatta Council, but the owners took them to court and won.

[CULWULLA]

how crap is that. council and developers need to get there shit together.

[Joelby]

There was a story on it on channel 7 I think. One of them is a hairdresser... his father passed the property on to him and on his deathbed told him to never give it up.

[Brizer]

I saw that and similar on the ABC: can't help thinking these guys are hanging out for a Really Big Payout, or else they're not too bright.

[CULWULLA]

may have to get a visit from mick gatto. ;-)

[Fabian]

looks like Mick Gatto will have alot of work up here. Grocon are keen to have those properties on their hands.

There was a story on it on channel 7 I think. One of them is a hairdresser... his father passed the property on to him and on his deathbed told him to never give it up.

Channel Nine did the same too

[CULWULLA]

pic by dogcancer.
the core of waterboard is now impacted the skyline.looks higher then council bldg?

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6959/pict0043px3.jpg

[DogCancer]

yeh its higher now
http://img518.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pict0030xn9.jpg

[CULWULLA]

hard to believe Eclipse will rise in background to same height as escen.
60m wide curved glass wall!

[CULWULLA]

in this old civic place render, you can see how sydney water is the first of 4 towers.

its top left
the other 2 will follow in a line up which will be 300ft wall eventually

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/Muse11/parra1.jpg

[nOchAos]

Once again apologies for the terrible phone pics.

Waterboard building is shooting up very quickly
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6172/dsc00184ka6.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6674/dsc00182ww4.jpg

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

SWC building is cool, the settlement is planned for March 2009...

I am worried about the rest of Civic Place...We'll see what happens after an appeal in the Supreme Court...

Hope they will overrule the stupid decision by Land & Environment Court to prevent the Parra Council from compulsory acquiring the site from the landowners (Michael Winston-Smith and Ray Fazzolari). Mr Winston-Smith's grandfather came to Parramatta from Ireland in 1920s and bought the site on the corner of Church & Darcy Sts. He currently owns the Hungry Jack's (the tackiest one in the country)... :bash:

His property would make way for the 45-storey Atria Tower as part of the Civic Place development.

We should know the final outcome soon.

btw, Parra Council have revealed plans to create a $5 billion riverside precinct bounded by Church, Phillip and Smith Sts! The Parramatta foreshore plans are currently on display at Parra City Council.......

[CULWULLA]

any photos are good of parra. nashos
looks good. i think core maybe topped?
alt-whats this about 45st atria tower?
i also hope L&E sort the shit out and get the civic place up and running.

[Fabian]

I dont mind the quality of the shots, just as long as we can see some evidence of progress. The floorplates have taken off and it makes the Parramatta Council Tower appear very tiny.

I am also surprised to hear about the Land and Environment Court ruling against the council given that they normally would give the nod to anything being put before them.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

any photos are good of parra. nashos
looks good. i think core maybe topped?
alt-whats this about 45st atria tower?
i also hope L&E sort the shit out and get the civic place up and running.

Just a quote from the local Parra paper lol Imagine 45 office floors - Parra supertall?! :)

[CULWULLA]

yes core is lev17 or roof atm/ needs to go another 7m to topout
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/3620/1smithnorthelvecolourlp6.jpg

PHOTOS BY RICKYBOBBY
Parramatta today with a camera, so I thought why not.
I must say it is quite a massive building for Parramatta.
If Im not mistaken, when it is finished it will be as high as the current position of the crane drivers cabin.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/building001.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/building002.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/building003.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/building004.jpg

[Fabian]

I have good news regarding Parramatta Council accquring the remaining four properties that they will need for the development. They won an appeal in the NSW Court of Appeal which has overturned a ruling by the Land and Environment Court which ruled that the council could not accquire them.

Owners of the properties have indicated that they will appeal - all the way to the High Court.

[CULWULLA]

^no they wont. they havent done anything yet. it wil cost them too much. so they wont appeal
grocon are set to start 40storey next year!!
.
from todays fin rev
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/2570734583_08f1da2cd4_o.jpg

[Brizer]

I kind of doubt that the current owners of these sites will come away financially ruined, in fact, I suspect that their future and that of all their issue will be handsomely assured, and to a greater degree than continuing to run their small businesses.

[CULWULLA]

^of course they will. old saying-you cant stop progress.
parra needs this complex and public space.

[Westyguy]

Good news! How much taller than Eclipse is the tallest Civic Place tower?

[CULWULLA]

^well the first tower is uc being 76m high waterboard, then theres 3 more towers. two on southern side and one other side of civic place.
i suspect the northern bldg will only be 15-20storeys/60-80mm due to shadows ect.
but the two to the west of waterboard will be huge.
i reckon one of them will be 40storeys atleast or 120m!!
lets hope grocon build it and it has a public observatory at top.
really good posi being in civic place and a focal point!!

first masterplan.
the top row. from left to right-
waterboard, tower2, tower3 and bottom left is tower 4.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/Muse11/parra1.jpg

i reckon tower 3 is screaming out to be the tallest of the 4.

[Fabian]

They are better off not appealling because they will simply lose their compensation and I am sure the council will offer a good deal to end the matter once and for all.

I was thinking today, why didnt they start on other buildings on the land that has already been accquired??? At least get something off the ground. They did that with Sydney Water HQ, but perhaps another one or two buildings.

[CULWULLA]

the waterboard envelope was 60m and they ended up with 76m/. towers 2 and 3 were 90m envelopes, so i reckon both towers will be excess of 100m. cant wait

[RickyBobby]

After reading serveral news stories on the net, it says that these 2 property developers themselfs have 28 days to make their decision if they want to take the matter to the high court.
It also says they have to pay for all the court costs.
I have also read reports of building heights of 30 stories to 44 stories.
Lets hope the issue is finally resolved in the next 28 days and get on with the buildings.
I don't like Hungry Jacks and I am bald.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

Those dickheads won't appeal :lol:

Can't wait for demolition of the council bldg, library & tacky shops..

Hope the 45-storey Atria Tower will be built first! Parra Skyline will rock! :cheers:

[SinCity]

I have good news regarding Parramatta Council accquring the remaining four properties that they will need for the development. They won an appeal in the NSW Court of Appeal which has overturned a ruling by the Land and Environment Court which ruled that the council could not accquire them.

Owners of the properties have indicated that they will appeal - all the way to the High Court.

Thats great news. These guys are just being greedy beyond belief. Im glad the NSW Court of Appeal had the common sense to see what they were up to. :cheers2:

[finn]

It is unreasonable for the landowners to expect compensation for anything more than the current value of their properties at the first notice of compulsory acquisition.

It is the reverse situation of compulsory acquisition for creation of open space. If you look at that example, it would be unjust for the government to rezone a house to "open space" first and then try to acquire it for the value of open space zoned land (which of course would be significantly reduced on the original rezoning).

Fair market value at the attempted time of acquisition, plus maybe some goodwill costs to assist in relocation, inconvenience etc are all the property owners should reasonably expect.

[DogCancer]

Green light for Parramatta CBD development
SCOTT HOWLETT

Wednesday 11 June, 2008 12:32pm

THE $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment in Parramatta has been given the green light by the NSW Court of Appeal.

Justice Murray Tobias said the decision, handed down today (Wednesday, June 11) just after 9.30am, was a unanimous 3-0 judgement.

The Court of Appeal decision in the Supreme Court overturned a Land and Environment Court decision in 2007, which prevented council from acquiring private land next to a large publicly-owned area to build a new Civic Place.

The private land is separately owned by property developers Michael Winston-Smith and Ray Fazzolari, who now have 28 days to appeal the decision to the High Court.

A delighted Parramatta Lord Mayor Paul Barber said the decision in council's favour was a ``win for the people of Parramatta''.

``It paves the way for one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects this century in NSW,'' he said.

``It will breathe new life into an under-utilised area in the heart of Parramatta City and create an urban centre which is economically, culturally and socially vibrant.

``Civic Place has never been about depriving a man of his castle but was always about a vision for one of the fastest growing cities in the state.''

[RSG]

Fantastic. Can't wait to see it underway.

[RickyBobby]

I found this on the net and thought it might be of some interest.
It's amazing that these 2 greedy pricks have held this project up for so long.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/reshapingparramatta.jpg

[Fabian]

The yellow indicates the sites that were of dispute to the council, which they can now accquire.

I was hoping to see some building envelopes to see where the proposed buildings would fit in.

The Leigh Uniting Church is worth having a look when in Parramatta. It's always open.

[CULWULLA]

^the yellow bits is where tallest will go.
The leigh uniting church is promised its soaring spire (as part of civic place overhaul) which once dominated the city of parra back in late19thC and early 20th. It was 150ft /45m high. in 1922 it was pulled down because of bad construction.

current height of tower is 23m.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2602485750_46d3dd26a0.jpg?v=0

[roofromoz]

The yellow bit on the corner of Darcy and Church Streets is where the Hungry Jacks is - if my memory serves me correctly, it is of an art deco design, and perhaps had some heritage value, but probably not enough to fulfill the criteria.

The other ones further up Darcy Street are just strip shops, and they could go.

That whole part of Parramatta one block either side of the railway station is going to be completely unrecognisable with the Parramatta I knew growing up - the Argyle Street side is pretty much now fully re-developed, now it's Civic Place's turn.

[fro]

Great to see that those land owners won't be holding up Civic Place any further. Well done. Also, I can't wait to see the existing Council building torn down... in fact, that entire section earmarked for the new Civic Place couldn't be demolished sooner. A great development for Parra!

[MILIUX]

The yellow bit on the corner of Darcy and Church Streets is where the Hungry Jacks is - if my memory serves me correctly, it is of an art deco design, and perhaps had some heritage value, but probably not enough to fulfill the criteria.

Good riddance. That Hungry Jacks brings so many undesirables into that area. Kids jigging schools, loitering, drug tradors, homeless with alcohol problem, etc.

I wonder where all the druggies will go to? They can't stay in that area because it will be heavily surveillanced once the Civic Place is completed. hmm...

Is there even a homeless shelter that is operated around the Parramatta city?

[Fabian]

I know St Vincent De Paul operate a Night Patrol van within the Parramatta CBD. I only ate at Hungry Jacks once. Full of bogans.

[nOchAos]

Cladding has started on the railway side of new Sydney Water HQ.

[shaggers_jr]

Good riddance. That Hungry Jacks brings so many undesirables into that area. Kids jigging schools, loitering, drug tradors, homeless with alcohol problem, etc.

I wonder where all the druggies will go to? They can't stay in that area because it will be heavily surveillanced once the Civic Place is completed. hmm...

Is there even a homeless shelter that is operated around the Parramatta city?

Wow, a lot of people on this forum are really uptight and judgemental. So some scruffy bogans hang out at Hungry Jacks - so what? It's a public area isn't it, not fucking Pleasantville.

Anyway, I'm still happy to see this development. Parramatta is one of Sydney's most underrated resources and I look forward to it becoming proper city and CBD alternative. Right now, Sydney is weighted far too much towards the CBD. It will be good to have a place with proper business, nightlife etc. that's not within a couple of kilometre radius of the CBD.

[DogCancer]

anyone got info on what these new towers in Civic place will look like?

[CULWULLA]

still too early. but they will be BIG.

[RickyBobby]

Wow, a lot of people on this forum are really uptight and judgemental. So some scruffy bogans hang out at Hungry Jacks - so what? It's a public area isn't it, not fucking Pleasantville.



Well, it is a public forum isn't it, not Pleasantville.
Relax.

[shaggers_jr]

Well, it is a public forum isn't it, not Pleasantville.
Relax.

What an odd post... Are you saying that only relaxed, agreeable posts should be allowed?

[Brizer]

Think he meant the opposite: open to all comers, whether you agree with them or not.

[shaggers_jr]

Think he meant the opposite: open to all comers, whether you agree with them or not.

Thanks, I know exactly what he meant, What I mean is that I don't need some guy telling me to "relax" because I made a post criticising someone else.

[RickyBobby]

Pic was taken today.
Relax shaggers_jr its not the end of the world.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/28062008001.jpg

[shaggers_jr]

Pic was taken today.
Relax shaggers_jr its not the end of the world.

Seriously, can I ask why you've decided to get involved in something that doesn't concern you and why you are being so supercilious towards me?

[CULWULLA]

great shot rickybob
looks like 3 more floors to go.

[Westyguy]

What are they going to do with the Library, Council Chambers and offices and the Post Office during construction?

[CULWULLA]

i reckon relocate somewhere close. not sure

[finn]

What are they going to do with the Library, Council Chambers and offices and the Post Office during construction?

Maybe they'll build the new facilities before they demolish the old? From the map below it looks as though all the new Council facilities are going on the open car park next to Sydney Water:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/reshapingparramatta.jpg

[DogCancer]

i cannot wait for this development to start. i will be able to see it from one of my bedroom balcony's!

[roofromoz]

What are they going to do with the Library, Council Chambers and offices and the Post Office during construction?

I've tried to find some info on that, but couldn't find anything. I would imagine that they will either wait until the new building is constructed for a temporary occupancy, or find other space in the CBD.

[CULWULLA]

the new civic place will really improve the mall
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/74/187845481_4d04d21387_o.jpg

[roofromoz]

That's one block too far down - that's between Macquarie and George Streets. But it is a similar streetscape on the right between Darcy and Macquarie Streets, with the strip shops.

That photo would also be at least 2-3 years old, as the pedestrian mall in that photo is gone now, and it's been converted back to allow traffic (albeit in a northbound direction only).

[rondeez]

yeh that pic would now see a much more lively and safer street ever since one way traffic reintroduced and street landscaping work... especially in the evening!

[CULWULLA]

That's one block too far down - that's between Macquarie and George Streets. But it is a similar streetscape on the right between Darcy and Macquarie Streets, with the strip shops.

That photo would also be at least 2-3 years old, as the pedestrian mall in that photo is gone now, and it's been converted back to allow traffic (albeit in a northbound direction only).

yeah bad example. i had 30sec before i left forum yesterday. july06 actually
hows this one

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/447148001_0b00e2b8a1_o.jpg

[roofromoz]

That's it!

[Fabian]

Taken by Ipggi yesterday from the Parramatta River. Corebox now gone.
Also posted in the main forums.

http://www.civbox.com/x/parrariver/(43).jpg

[Ipggi]

http://www.civbox.com/x/parrariver/(42).jpg

[CULWULLA]

cool. . the core is 76m high, now 4th tallest bldg in parra

[Fabian]

I was at uni last week, and Sydney Water appears as the tallest building in Parramatta given it's located at one of higher points in the CBD. Jesse St centre doesnt appear as tall. I will try and sneak a pic on Wednesday.

[CULWULLA]

^nah Sydney water will be 3rd highest above sea llevel.(3m shorter then jessie st)
soon to be 4th.

#Eclipse-89m (RL101m) UC
1-Escen-84m (RL100m)
2-Jessie st centre-83m (RL93m)
3-Colonial Bank-81m (RL88m)
#Sydney Water HQ-76m (RL90m) UC

[DogCancer]

the view of the sydney water building from the east ie the ferry terminal will be its best side. from the station i think it is going to be too long, not high enough. hopefully when the new ones go up next to it they can be 30-40 stories to make it look less boxy

[CULWULLA]

^yes sydney water will be the shortest of all the 4 towers at civic place. the tower opposuite which will rise east of the church will about same size as sydney water.
it has to be short because of shadow issues on civic place. its the only one north of the east/west mall so it cant be tall or bulky.the 2 next to sydney water can be height limit if they want. i think the middle tower should be tallest with the one on george st being between sydney water and tallest height.

heres an old pic showing towers. the sydneyawater is similar heigth and shape but the other 2 next will go thinner and taller.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/Muse11/parra1.jpg

[RickyBobby]

These animals are at it again, driven by greed.

Civic Place delayed again
Scott Howlett

Wednesday 16 July, 2008 12:01am




THE $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment in the heart of Parramatta received a massive setback on Friday.

Private landowners in Darcy St, Michael Winston-Smith and Ray Fazzolari, have announced they will be seeking leave to appeal to the High Court against a recent Supreme Court decision which gave council the green light to develop Civic Place.

Progress could be delayed until at least the end of the year, a disappointed Parramatta Lord Mayor Paul Barber said.

But Mr Fazzolari launched a blistering counterattack against Cr Barber, whom he accused of being "too scared" to sit down and talk to him.

"I hope this story flushes him out," Mr Fazzolari told the Advertiser on Monday.

In September 2007 the Land and Environment Court ruled that Parramatta Council could not compulsorily acquire private land separately owned by Mr Winston-Smith and Mr Fazzolari to make way for Civic Place.

Council appealed the ruling in the Court of Appeal, which decided 3-0 in the council's favour.

"Civic Place ... faces another hurdle," Cr Barber said in a statement.

"It is expected that a decision whether they are granted leave will be made some time in November.

"It's a great disappointment for the city and for the people of Parramatta."

After hearing Cr Barber's comments, Mr Fazzolari said: "We think, on advice from senior counsel, that the Court of Appeal erred in their decision, not taking into account all of the terms of the Local Government Compulsory Acquisition Act.

"The landowners have repeatedly requested a meeting with council and/or their representatives with the endeavour to have this matter settled.

"However, council has not shown any interest in settling the matter, preferring to continue to spend ratepayers' money on unnecessary litigation.

"We are entitled to the courtesy of a meeting with the Lord Mayor but he is too scared to talk to us."

[RickyBobby]

Developer Grocon remains committed to the Parramatta Civic Place project despite another legal hurdle delaying the start of construction.

[roofromoz]

I was in Parra today for an urban design course - a couple of the speakers work for Parramatta City Council in the planning team. The vision is to have one continuous accessible corridor stretching from Civic Place all the way up to the river - it will include the demolition of a couple of Council owned car parks, including the one behind the old David Jones, which will be converted into one large green space called Parramatta Riverbank. The car parking areas will be 'replaced' in part by underground parking available in Civic Place, but the long term vision is to have the parking stations on the outskirts of the CBD and employ a "park and ride" (for want of a better term) system - apparently the Council already run a free bus shuttle along these lines.

Anyway, here's a couple of pics taken from the Church Street / Darcy Street intersection...

http://home.graffiti.net/roofromoz:graffiti.net/IMG_4239.JPG
Looking up Darcy Street

http://home.graffiti.net/roofromoz:graffiti.net/IMG_4240.JPG
Looking down Church Street Mall

Most of the buildings on the left hand side of Darcy Street and right hand side of Church Street Mall will go as part of the re-development.

And here's one I took last year of the existing Civic Place - library is on the left, chambers are in the background... both will go. Leigh Uniting Church, which will be retained, is on the right (out of shot).

http://home.graffiti.net/roofromoz:graffiti.net/sydney_parramattacbd01.JPG

[CULWULLA]

delayed until end of year? wft? how could this happen again?
this really is shitting me.
thanks for photos roofromoz.

[Fabian]

I hate these setbacks. :bash:

Those guys appealing to the high court have some guts, but I cannot see them winning.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

Bloody animals! lol Someone should burn the friggin' hungry jacks - only local gangs eat their lunch there :ohno::bash:

[Westyguy]

How many properties are actually affected by this legal shitstorm?

Can't they just start demolition and work around them?

[Brizer]

It's amazing how gutsy greed can make people, some of them, at least.

[RickyBobby]

This photo was taken today from the Colonial Tower from the 19th floor.
Unfortunatly the 2.0megapixel camera phone is not the best resolution.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x69/RickyBobby1976/19072008001.jpg

[CULWULLA]

great pic rickybob!!!!
sure dwarfs the old council tower.
such a slab!

[Fabian]

I am not a fan of mobilephone cameras at all. You can get a basic camera for $100 these days which does a good job.

The cladding is progressing fairly well. It's more a navy blue than a royal blue as shown in the renders.

[DogCancer]

^^awesome pic.. if u can get bak up there would u be able to take a pic more to the left so escen and more of the cities skyscrappers are in?
haha my apartment building is directly behind the syd water building in that pic but obstructed due to its HEIGHT and SIZE (which is good) :)

ps shake n bake LoL!

[DogCancer]

lol just looked properly, escen is in the pic and also obstructed

[RickyBobby]

The chances are I will not be going back there, it was a one off job.
I was not aware of the prime views I was about to see or the address I was going to.
Thats why I was only carrying the moblie camera phone, if I knew, I would of taken my 5.0 megapixel with zoom.
If I ever go back I will take the better camera.

[DogCancer]

ill try to get some update pics of the syd water building this week for every1.

[Fabian]

Those appealing against the council's accquistion of their properties have won the right to appeal to the High Court. This is going to be good lol.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

Someone should set the "Hungry Jack's" on fire lol (like somebody did the Buckginham Dept Store, Oxford St in 1968 - that one was empty though, but at least had some heritage value....) :lol:

[Fabian]

It's the only HJ's in Parramatta where you can get your free refills of drinks. :) I am sure they can find a better place within Parramatta's CBD to relocate. So seedy there at present.

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

I don't understand why they wouldn't demolish the council tower now...Plus that dodgy buliding on the corner of Macquarie and Smith...Those fools will go out in a few months anyway....the rest of the project should not be dependant on their relocation! God bless Sydney Water! (hope the top 2 floors will finally be complete this month!!!)

[CULWULLA]

latest from dogcancer
the core now dominating that part of town.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5508/dscf0022kn3.jpg

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

The latest aerial of the SWC building (taken this month):

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/2849867627_f7eeca0889_b.jpg

The view from SWC Level 16...The Eclipse & proposed Fitzwilliam St tower will fit nicely into this picture! You can also see the Gallery by Crown crane in the background (just topped out!) This pic was taken a couple of months ago (meanwhile The Edge apartment building has topped out and a dodgy red brick block of flats @ No3 Hassall St has been demolished...)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/2850698132_b81c9328a9_b.jpg

Cheers

[CULWULLA]

wow, great shots. gee the new waterboard dwarfs the old council bldg in height and bulk.
great things coming for parra

[Brizer]

It also dwarfs it in architectural quality!

[DogCancer]

They are alittle overdue but here are some pics i promised in a post afew weeks back. To make it up for you guys lol i have taken pics from three different sides of the SWB.

North facing

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8311/pict0147zu3.jpg

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3368/pict0150ux2.jpg

East Facing

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/1779/pict0151ky9.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/4707/pict0152dc8.jpg

South Facing (station side)

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/6730/pict0154hz6.jpg

[DogCancer]

throwing the hat around for some donations to get cash togther to hire some hitmen for the ppl responsible for holding Civic Development bak....

[AltiusAltiusAltius]

throwing the hat around for some donations to get cash togther to hire some hitmen for the ppl responsible for holding Civic Development bak....

lol, good idea! :lol:

[Indictable]

what a dense area Parra CBD is becoming

[SinCity]

Not sure what the outcome will be, however a decision is expected sometime today on the appeal by those stubborn and greedy property owners :ohno: ......

High Court considers civic plan
5/11/2008 4:00:00 AM

THE future of Parramatta's Civic Place urban renewal project hinges on a hearing which was due to start in the High Court in Adelaide yesterday.

The owners of several properties in Darcy Street and one on the corner of Darcy and Church streets have appealed against a NSW Supreme Court, Court of Appeal ruling affirming Parramatta Council's rights of compulsory acquisition over the properties.

The council maintains the properties are essential to the project, which was scheduled to have started late last year and to be completed by 2012.

It involves demolition of an entire CBD block, replacing it with new council chambers, library, arts and administration buildings, public open spaces, office buildings and apartments.

The hearing was expected to last for about two days.

http://parramatta.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/news-in-brief/1351495.aspx

[CULWULLA]

lets hope the outcome is the right one.

[.Rogue.Trader.69.]

Yeah, Parramatta needs this in order to progress. There are other spaces avaliable in Parramatta, can't they just move!

Also anybody who has seen the Sydney Water Building lately like me, can they tell me what the panels are on the station facing side where more are being attached?
They all have plastic wrap on them, just wondering what material underneath?

[SinCity]

A decision has been defered until next February .... :ohno:

Either way the council is in discussions with Grocon to commence a part of the project in anticipation of the final outcome regardless.

There is also a backup plan in place to work around the properties in question should the council lose their appeal.

I really hope the council succeeds.

[MILIUX]

I hope that the council quickly builds this as soon as the court goes in the Council's favour. Parramatta is currently grossly under-developed in taking advantage of its location and infrastructure.

[SinCity]

I seriously think it would be stupid in the current economic environment that such a significant project gets messed around because of a couple of greedy individuals. This project has to happen and I hope the courts realise this ......

[Brizer]

Be interesting to see who gets to pay the costs once the decision is made.

[Dyllip]

Can the rest of Civic Place please start soon :(

http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0011/6887/civic_place03.jpg
http://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/6884/civic_place02.jpg
The renders are so delish

Can the ppl appealing get a life >;[

[Dyllip]

i also wonder what there going to do with the old bus interchange

[LanceDriver]

yes, it does look good...

[Fabian]

It's a shame that the High Court Case is only adding to the delays.

Remember back to 2004 when they said construction was imminent.

[.Rogue.Trader.69.]

Cant the buildings that need to go "mysteriously burn down" lol

P.S. I AM NOT INCRIMINATING MYSELF IF THAT DOES HAPPEN, NOR DO I WISH IT TO HAPPEN, LOL

But seriously, can't we just start a boycott of the businesses that are still there.
Hungry Jacks especially.

Or gather petitions, something before the Hearing at the High Court?

Although I only moved to Parramatta a year ago from further out Penrith Way, one of the reasons was that I saw what Parramatta will become potentially. And this whole dilemma is just holding it back!

[Brizer]

Well, don't just sit there, organise petitions and boycotts! Contact the media, the government, yer mum, spread the word.

[.Rogue.Trader.69.]

Does anyone here live in Parra walk through Civic Place on Sundays?

I'm sick of the church handing out pamphlets and asking "Do you care what will happen to your soul when you die?"

Especially when there's a sign nearby for Parra Council saying your not allowed!

I have nothing against religion, well except for the discrimination part.

But in my opinion religious groups shouldn't be allowed to harass people like that.

[CULWULLA]

which church?

[MILIUX]

Does anyone here live in Parra walk through Civic Place on Sundays?

I'm sick of the church handing out pamphlets and asking "Do you care what will happen to your soul when you die?"

Especially when there's a sign nearby for Parra Council saying your not allowed!

I have nothing against religion, well except for the discrimination part.

But in my opinion religious groups shouldn't be allowed to harass people like that.

Yeah. It gets pretty bad near that public theatre steps and playground. They shout and scream.

Then there are Falung Gung doing their meditation.

[.Rogue.Trader.69.]

I don't mind the Falung Gung, they don't bother people, and they don't have a guy with a megaphone preaching about Jesus.

[.Rogue.Trader.69.]

http://i44.tinypic.com/2whqpf6.jpg

Took a pic mid this week while waiting for the train. Sorry I couldn't get other angles, I was kinda in a hurry to get to work, lol.

They had finished those panels by the next day, but I didn't have my camera that time, lol.

And tonight they have most of the lights on, i'm guessing that's to test they all work? lol

[MILIUX]

I went a visit to waterboard yesterday. The quality is fantastic!

It reminds me of a concaded version of Deutsche Bank.

[Brizer]

"concaded"? What's that mean?

[MILIUX]

"concaded"? What's that mean?

I meant to say that it looks like the bottom half of Deutsche Bank.

[CULWULLA]

so where are the photos?

[MILIUX]

I'm going to Parramatta tomorrow. I'll take some photos.

*Note to self: Take more construction photos*

[CULWULLA]

thanks

[Joseph D]

I took these aerial shots of Parramatta and surrounding suburbs earlier this year while doing some private flying. Sorry about image quality. I had a pretty shitty camera.

Parramatta
http://i39.tinypic.com/2h7h36w.jpg

Rosehill Racecourse
http://i41.tinypic.com/hvrtdx.jpg

Clyde Industrial Area and Homebush further back. You can just make out the Sydney skyline in the background. Parramatta river on the left of image.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2u7agiu.jpg

Parra CBD
http://i43.tinypic.com/2n733as.jpg

Parra CBD Again
http://i44.tinypic.com/2eclpo4.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/iqd0zc.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/2dijdio.jpg

Parra Stadium
http://i40.tinypic.com/71p7rn.jpg

Parra Stadium Again
http://i43.tinypic.com/2j1wjtd.jpg

Prospect Reservoir
http://i43.tinypic.com/2igdvlt.jpg

Western Sydney Dragway (and part of Eastern Creek Raceway)
http://i42.tinypic.com/20jfssp.jpg

[MILIUX]

Mostly done.
http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2878-1.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2879-2.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2882-3.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2883-4.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2885-5.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2886-6.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2888-7.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2890-9.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2891-10.jpg

Reminds me of Deutsche Bank
http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2894-11.jpg

Colour scheme is chosen to reconcile with Parramatta station
http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2895-12.jpg

http://www.miliux.com/images/IMG_2900-13.jpg

[Fabian]

Wow, they have done a great job with this one.

[CULWULLA]

thanks for shots. really impressive. just wish it was 10storeys taller.