A deal worth more than $2 billion has been struck between one of Australia’s biggest developers and a western Sydney council to revitalise the city’s centre.
The agreement between Walker Corporation and Blacktown City Council includes new office, health and retail developments in the CBD and a green square.
While details are being finalised, Walker executive chairman Lang Walker said the development would deliver more than 1000 construction jobs over five years and permanently add more than 4500 jobs and $920 million in value every year to the city’s economy, according to the Walker Corporation.
The deal adds to Walker’s current and past city-transforming projects in Parramatta, a $3-billion transformation that was completed less than a year ago, and Queensland’s Maroochydore.
“This is an exciting opportunity to deliver an urban transformation which will change the way people think about Blacktown and bring thousands of new jobs closer to where people live,” Lang Walker said.
“Blacktown is growing fast and it needs the modern amenities and infrastructure to match, accompanied by wide open public squares and better-designed access, in and around the city for pedestrians, cars, buses and those using public transport.”
The future masterplan will also deliver the council’s mooted Blacktown Brain and Spinal Institute.
“Over the coming months we will be finessing the details of our masterplan to create vibrant, energised, people-friendly spaces through great architecture, careful placemaking and state-of-the-art facilities,” Walker said.
Blacktown, 35km west of the Sydney CBD, is the most populous city in NSW and continues to grow quickly with a predicted population of 615,000 by 2041.
Blacktown mayor Tony Bleasdale said the opportunity to work closely with Walker on a transformation the same size as Parramatta Square was “a game changer”.
“This is the beginning of a major boom period for Blacktown. The Walker project will play a central role in council’s long-term plan to ensure Blacktown residents have access to world class infrastructure, education, health and open space in the heart of our city, for our community to flourish,” Bleasdale said.
Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said Walker coming to Blacktown was “a major win for our hard-working community”.
“Walker’s vision for Parramatta Square has transformed what was a run-down section of the CBD into a vibrant city centre that is now providing tens of thousands of new jobs in premium offices, fantastic restaurants and wide-open public plazas,” Borger said.
“Lang Walker and his team will no doubt bring that same visionary nous to Blacktown to help the city modernise in line with its rapid population growth.”
