Parramatta. DA by December

Parramatta City Council expects to own the entire 1.7-hectare site of the Civic Place project by the end of July. “That’s the trigger we’ve been waiting for and it should result in a development application being lodged by December this year. Our aim is to see construction start six months later,” said council’s CEO, Dr Robert Lang.

Parramatta. DA expected this year

Parramatta City Council said the DA for the $11.6 billion Civic Place project is expected to be lodged in 2011 with work on stage one expected to commence in the 2011/12 financial year. It will be the biggest redevelopment project the city has ever seen and will revitalise the city centre, council said.

Parramatta. Lord mayor is optimistic

Parramatta Lord Mayor, John Chedid, expects the long-awaited $1.6 billion Civic Place redevelopment project to be launched in early 2011.”This will combine with several promising developments aimed at revitalising areas along the (Parramatta) river foreshore generating … optimism about our city’s growing role as the regional capital (of Western Sydney) in the years ahead,” he said.

Parramatta. Turning the first sod

Parramatta Lord Mayor, Paul Garrard expects the first sod to be turned on the $1.6 billion Civic Place redevelopment in seven months, according to a Parramatta Advertiser report detailing his activities during his term as the city’s civic leader; he will not stand for election on September 29. A sign that work on the project is imminent is the closure of the council employees' car park facing Smith Street. Employees now use the Wentworth Car Park.

Parramatta. Mutual agreement over properties

The of properties by Parramatta City Council for its $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment project has been resolved regarding properties, at 20-22, 24 and 25 Darcy Street. A mutual agreement was struck to purchase the properties without invoking public powers for a forced acquisition. The properties will be sold to council on agreed values following a mutually agreed process facilitated by Jerrold Cripps QC, former ICAC Commissioner, and an independent valuer, deputy Lord Mayor, Chiang Lim, said in his e-newsletter. “In 2009, the NSW Parliament amended the Land Acquisitions (Just Terms Compensation) Act in order to clarify and support public-private partnership projects like Parramatta’s Civic Place [3-hectare] re-development, Clr Lim said.

Parramatta. Civic Place project closer

Parramatta City Council CEO, Dr Robert Lang, anticipates work on the $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment to commence mid-year, with staff parking, for approximately 100 vehicles, in the area facing Smith Street and adjacent to the Sydney Water head office, to be relocated to council’s Wentworth Street Car Park, from June. Pending a decision on whether staff would be charged a parking fee, a transition period would be set. He said he queried whether council was in the business of providing free parking when no other business in Parramatta did so.

Parramatta. City Centre redevelopment

The proposed $1.4 billion Civic Place project is part of Parramatta City Council’s plans for the redevelopment of the core of the CBD. Council noted in its Integrated Transport Plan for the Parramatta City Centre that the redevelopment of the Civic Place block had commenced in 2009 with the opening of Sydney Water’s head office. Three additional blocks are included in the plans, namely, Horwood Place, Erby Place and Riverside (a block bounded by the Parramatta River, Church, Phillip and Smith streets/Wilde Avenue) all contain council car parks, “representing significant areas for redevelopment, along with private land owners”. The document said there were numerous privately-owned sites that have been mooted for development.

Parramatta. Civic Place DAs expected in 2010

The feasibility analysis of the $400 million first stage of the $1,4 billion Civic Place redevelopment project is currently being finalised, with planning applications expected to be lodged during 2010. Construction is expected to commence in 2011/12 and be completed in 2013/14. The project will be staged over an estimated 10-year period and will include over 170,000 square metres of of commercial, retail, residential and civic space, as well as over 6000 square metres of high quality public domain, according to Parramatta City Council’s 2010-2014 draft delivery program, currently on public exhibition. It is understood that council’s new administration block, library, art gallery and council chambers, on the corner of Smith and Macquarie streets, adjacent to Sydney Water’s head office, will be included in the first stage

Parramatta. Is Civic Place ready to commence?

Parramatta City Council CEO, Dr Robert Lang said in the September Quarterly Review that he “remained confident that work (on the Civic Place redevelopment) will commence before the end of this year”. A council spokesperson has said Dr Lang was referring to the calendar year 2009, not the 2009/10 financial year.

Parramatta. Land deal to go ahead

The State Government will unveil today legislation that Parramatta City Council says will allow it to proceed with the $1.6 billion Civic Place development which was blocked by the High Court last month, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Council wanted to compulsorly acquire several properties for the project.

Parramatta. 'Blow to future growth'

Brendan Lyon, executive director, of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, said the recent High Court’s decision that Parramatta City Council could not compulsory acquire properties for its $1.4 billion Civic Place project, was “a significant blow to Parramatta’s future growth, throwing into jeopardy the continued economic and social development of Western Sydney”. The court said council could not acquire the properties and re-sell them to Grocon, the project’s developer. Council will appeal to the NSW Government to change the law.

Parramatta. Council's loss in the High Court

Property owners, R&R Fazzolari Pty Ltd and Mac's Pty Ltd, have won their appeal in High Court, stopping Parramatta City Council’s compulsory acquisition of properties, in Darcy Street, for its $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment. Council, which regarded the projects as the city’s number one challenge, will now seek NSW Government legislation to acquire the properties. Council CEO, Dr Robert Lang, said on ABC radio that it would be difficult to proceed without obtaining the properties.

Parramatta. Fingers crossed on decisions

The city’s number one challenge was the High Court of Australia’s imminent decision on the compulsory acquisition of several properties as part of its Civic Place redevelopment project. In case of an unfavourable decision, council was seeking the support from the Premier and local MPs, to obtain a legislative remedy to acquire the balance of the properties in Civic Place. Dr Lang also said council was negotiating with the State Government to secure a building in the Old King’s School site and funds to restore and open it to the public. “We understand a cabinet decision on the site is pending,” he said at the annual State of the City address

Parramatta. Wait for High Court decision

Parramatta City Council and several property owners involved in the controversial $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment project may have to wait until early next year before learning of the outcome of a hearing in the High Court. Owners of properties in Darcy Street took their case to the High Court following a NSW Court of Appeal decision gave the council the right to compulsory acquire the properties for the project. "A decision will be handed down in the new year, probably in February," a council spokesperson said.

Parramatta. Property owners lodge appeal

The controversial $1.4 million Civic Place redevelopment project is still in limbo following the lodgement of an application by property owners seeking leave to appeal against a decision, by the NSW Court of Appeal, allowing Parramatta City Council to compulsory acquire properties in Darcy Street. “It will mean further delays to breathe new life into an under-utilised area in the heart of Parramatta and create an urban centre which is economically, cultural and social vibrant,” Lord Mayor, Paul Barber, told The Parramatta Sun.

Civic Place decision expected in June

The Court of Appeal’s judgement is expected in June on Parramatta City Council’s appeal against a ruling by the Land and Environment Court over council’s compulsory acquisition powers over properties, in Darcy Street, for its $1.4 billion Civic Place redevelopment. The two-day hearing was heard on Thursday and Friday of last week.