Extraordinary Progress Made On International Convention Centre Sydney

Sydney’s new multi-billion dollar convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour is well on its way to being completed by late 2016, with more than 1,500 piles installed and seven tower cranes now in operation.

NSW Acting Premier Troy Grant told Urbanalyst that in less than two years, Sydney will have a new premium convention, exhibition and entertainment venue – the

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney).

The venue will include an 8,000-seat theatre complex, 35,500 square metres of exhibition space and capacity for up to 12,000 convention delegates.

According to Urbanalyst the 20-hectare site will also include a 600-room Sofitel-branded hotel, which is due to be completed in the second quarter of 2017, and

Lend Lease's new residential and commercial district, known as

Darling Square, which is due to be completed in stages from 2017.

Designed by Sydney architect Richard Francis-Jones, from Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT), in collaboration with the Lend Lease design group the 35-storey building will include features such as a roof-top club lounge, meeting rooms and bars and restaurants.

Lend Leases’ Darling Square community is expected to house 4,000 residents and 2,000 workers. It will include 1,400 apartments, student accommodation for 1,000, 20,000 square metres of commercial space and around 5,500 square metres of retail space according to Urbanalyst.

"The progress made at the construction site over the past 12 months has been extraordinary, with the 2,700 workers inducted on site helping us deliver this major project on schedule," Mr Grant said.

"When ICC Sydney opens in December 2016, it will employ more than 300 people full-time and continue attracting world-class events to Australia's global city, with a brand new theatre complex, exhibition halls and convention centre."The ICC Sydney is being delivered through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the NSW Government and Darling Harbour Live (comprising Lend Lease, HOSTPLUS, Capella Capital, AEG Ogden and Spotless).