ATE MEDIA INFORMATION | INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE Sydney is a big city on the move, with a long list of exciting infrastructure developments, more public space and a range of hotel styles in the pipeline. Australia’s largest exhibition and convention centre is underway at Darling Harbour while the major redevelopment of harbourside Barangaroo is already making an impact on the city’s skyline. THE TRANSFORMATION OF DARLING HARBOUR The NSW Government is partnering with Darling Harbour, Live and Lend Lease to deliver a 20-hectare, $3.4 billion transformation of Darling Harbour. The project includes Australia’s premier integrated convention, exhibition and events destination, the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), and includes expanded public space, a luxury hotel and a new city neighbourhood. The ICC Sydney is on track for completion in late 2016. It will be at the heart of a waterfront precinct, with restaurants, shops and a vibrant public domain generating about $200 million each year in economic benefit for NSW; a total of $5 billion to the state over 25 years. The new ICC Sydney facilities will include: ■ Convention facilities that will be capable of holding three separate, self-sufficient, concurrent events as well as an 8,000-seat plenary. ■ Australia’s largest ballroom, located on the top floor, will feature spectacular water and city views. The dramatic venue will host 2,000 in banquet mode and more than 3,500 for cocktail functions TOP: TUMBALONG PARK AT DARLING HARBOUR. BOTTOM: AERIAL VIEW OF DARLING HARBOUR. ■ A tiered theatre with a capacity of 8,000 will have the capacity to be scaled to seat 6,000, 5,000 or 3,500 people ■ An open-air event deck of 5,000sqm will include a bar and lounge featuring city skyline views ■ Total exhibition capacity will be 35,000sqm with 8,000sqm of meeting-room space across 70 rooms ■ An upgraded public domain with outdoor event space will cater for up to 27,000 people and include improved pedestrian access from Chinatown, Central Station, Ultimo, Pyrmont and the city centre. At the northern end of the site, there will be a landmark five- star hotel with about 600 rooms; at the southern end, a new neighbourhood is emerging with offices, residential, student housing, public car parking and retail. This site includes the Sydney Entertainment Centre, now called the Qantas Credit Union Arena, which will remain open until December 2015. This ‘once in a generation’ opportunity builds on the success of BARANGAROO Darling Harbour and will create an exciting precinct in which to live, The Barangaroo Project is a major new central Sydney work and have fun. Visitors, including families, will still find plenty development located on a 22-hectare site on the western harbour to enjoy at Darling Harbour with its expanded and reinvigorated foreshore of the CBD. It is destined to become the city’s financial open space. It is Darling Harbour’s most exciting renewal in 25 and business hub, reborn as a thriving public, residential and years. Work on the new public spaces commenced in March 2015, commercial precinct, complete with a waterfront promenade, and will open in stages from December 2015. Tumbalong Park is running the length of the site. scheduled to be completed in early December 2015. Incorporating a major new Headland Park, Barangaroo is an SOUTHERN CBD PRECINCT UNDER DEVELOPMENT ambitious and significant waterfront redevelopment. Over time, The transformation of Darling Harbour is part of a larger southern 23,000 people will live and work at Barangaroo, while 33,000 CBD precinct redevelopment that will expand on the creative and people are expected to visit Barangaroo each day by 2022. cultural hubs around Ultimo, Chippendale and Pyrmont by 2018. The site is comprised of three zones. Barangaroo South will be a Key developments already underway include The City Campus major business, tourism, residential and retail precinct that opens Master Plan for the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), which onto a public harbourfront promenade and includes a new hotel. is expected to contribute an estimated $3.2 billion to the NSW The first of three commercial towers will open later this year. economy. An architectural highlight is the Frank Gehry-designed Barangaroo Central will be used for recreation, events, festivals, Dr Chau Chak Wing Building which opened in February 2015. entertainment and leisure activities. It will include 2.6 hectares of Also in Ultimo, the New York-style Goods Line Project will see public space, with the promenade completing one of the world’s a corridor of disused railway land converted into an urban park great waterfront walks, stretching 14km from Woolloomooloo to and public space, including bike paths, study pods and outdoor Anzac Bridge. Headland Park is another beautiful harbour park workspaces. The existing goods line is four metres above ground, for Sydneysiders and visitors. It’s part of the third site, Barangaroo running 500m from Central Station to Darling Harbour and is Point Reserve. expected to open in 2015. A six-star, ultra-luxe hotel is proposed at Barangaroo. James SYDNEY AIRPORT Packer’s Crown Group plans to build what he has termed “the best hotel in the world”, with an estimated cost of $1.3 billion. A major development plan for Sydney Airport includes: ground transport improvements for the T2/T3 precinct that OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS will streamline traffic flow; a purpose-built ground transport interchange to accommodate public buses, coaches and cars; and ■ A $10 million upgrade to refurbish one of Sydney’s most expanded pedestrian and cycle infrastructure to encourage active recognisable buildings, Bondi Pavilion, will be undertaken as transport and improve safety. The first stage of the works began part of the Bondi Park, Beach and Pavilion 10-year Plan of earlier this year. Management. To minimise disruption to passengers, the works will be staged ■ A new major luxury residential, retail and hotel redevelopment over 20 months, with the first completed areas to open towards at prime Circular Quay office block Gold Fields House is the end of 2015. planned. Demolition work is expected to begin in 2017. In addition, more check-in capacity, improved passenger ■ The Bays Precinct, located just two kilometres west of the circulation and a new food court will open in 2015 and 2016 as Sydney CBD, will revitalise Sydney’s inner harbour area. New part of a major transformation of Sydney Airport’s T1 landside housing, recreation space, retail, tourism, commercial and departures area. Check-in counters have been extended to maritime use will co-exist along more than 5.5km of waterfront accommodate more passengers as well as more places to eat. land as part of the city’s largest single urban renewal program since the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Major works to improve traffic flow in and around the precinct have also continued throughout 2015. They included a new, faster SYDNEY’S ACCOMMODATION SECTOR public pick up zone to provide motorists with a more convenient Refurbishments, new openings and developments have featured area to collect passengers; a new centre road to improve recently on Sydney’s hotel scene. traffic circulation; dedicated car park exits for city and west/ southbound traffic; and relocation of car park entry and exit boom Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Airport is a new full-service gates to streamline traffic flow around the precinct. Stage Two apartment hotel with fully-equipped kitchens, a restaurant and improvements this year include an expanded T1 taxi holding bay, bar. Located close to Mascot train station, the hotel is within improved limousine and hire car facilities. easy reach of Sydney’s top attractions. Another new airport BONDI PAVILION hotel, Travelodge Sydney Airport, is set to open in late 2016 matched by all the latest facilities. Base Sydney on Kent Street in with 209 rooms, car park and commercial space above the hotel. And the CBD has 19 double rooms in a stunning heritage building. Accor has announced it will open the $100 million five-star Pullman In the inner west, The Urban Newtown is a new boutique Sydney Airport in May 2016. The 229-room property will include a bolthole in the heart of funky Newtown; studio rooms with an restaurant and bar, and conference facilities, and will be the first industrial design fit-out are close to all the action on vibrant internationally branded five-star hotel in the international airport King Street. Set to launch as a new 62-room boutique hotel in precinct. July 2015, Chippendale’s Old Clare Hotel and Carlton United In The Rocks, The Langham Sydney has recently reopened following Brewery Administration Building are currently undergoing a $30 million refurbishment, which included a new-look lobby, a multi-million-dollar overhaul. The venue will be home to stunning dining areas, guestrooms and ballroom. A quirky addition several signature restaurants. Automata will be Clayton Wells’ is the Langham Pink Taxi, available to transport guests locally. first solo restaurant following stints at Momofuku Seiobo and Quay; Kensington Street Social will be Michelin-starred Jason Sydney will gain its second luxe Sofitel hotel with the opening of Atherton’s first Australian venue; and Noma graduate, Sam Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour in 2017. Perched at the northern Miller, will head up his first restaurant, Silvereye. end of the International Convention Centre (ICC Sydney) and overlooking Cockle Bay, the 35-storey, 600-room property will be When QT Residences Bondi opens at Bondi Beach, it will be home a centrepiece of the Darling Harbour redevelopment and support to some very stylish apartments overlooking Australia’s most the adjacent convention centre. famous golden stretch of sand. The glamorous InterContinental Sydney Double Bay opened recently in the picturesque bayside Four Points by Sheraton Sydney has been undergoing a $160 neighbourhood, offering luxury and privacy at its finest.