Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s bid to demolish properties opposite Town Hall to create space for a future Town Hall Square took one step closer after her motion to accelerate the delivery was passed unanimously by council last night.
For more than three decades, the City of Sydney under successive Lord Mayors has been progressively acquiring properties opposite Town Hall to create space for a future Town Hall Square. Demolition of the buildings, including a BigW retail and supermarket outlet, plus clothing stores is to start in the next few years. In 2020, Council gave Woolworths a lease until December 2030.
But the early termination of the lease by Woolworths, which occupies the north-west corner of the block, would put a dent in Council income.
“Sydney is Australia’s global city, and like other major cities, it needs large welcoming civic spaces for growing residential and working populations and for millions of local, national and international visitors,” Moore said.
“When we last negotiated the commercial leases in the buildings on this site, we were severely affected by the financial impacts of the pandemic and not in a position to deliver the Square.
“However, I have been informed that because of the age of these buildings, the costs to maintain and upgrade them to comply with current standards and attract new tenants are becoming prohibitive.”
Given the buildings are set for demolition, Moore said upgrades were “not prudent” and she had asked Council to re-evaluate and adapt to changing conditions by moving the project forward in this year’s budget.
The construction of a grand public square opposite Sydney Town Hall, first envisaged by former mayor Doug Sutherland in the 1980s.
