Green Square residents enjoyed a sneak preview of the City of Sydney’s new $18 million creative hub and childcare centre over the weekend.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore joined local residents on a tour of construction at the Green Square Community and Cultural Precinct at the former South Sydney Hospital site on Sunday morning. The new facilities will service the 61,000 people who will soon call the area home.
Locals received an inside look at the facilities and had the chance to ask questions of their project managers, community facilities staff and builders at the City’s community inspection day.
“Green Square is one of the fastest-growing precincts in NSW, and we’re meeting the needs of this growing community with high-quality facilities for locals and visitors to enjoy,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Our new childcare centre will support the growing number of families who are choosing inner city living.
“The wider precinct will provide important recreational spaces for people of all ages, creating a lively area where artists, creative groups and community organisations can come together, develop their talents and share creative ideas.
“The works will breathe new life into the former hospital’s heritage-listed buildings, preserving their rich history and ensuring they can be enjoyed by generations to come.
“Our community inspection day was a great chance for locals to see how construction is progressing and learn more about the fantastic new facilities they will soon be able to enjoy.”
Work on the precinct began late last year and is expected to be complete in mid-2017.
The facilities under construction include:
- Joynton Avenue Creative Centre – the former nurses’ quarters in the three-storey Esme Cahill Building are being refurbished as artist studios, a gallery space, creative workshops, classrooms and spaces available for community hire;
- Banga Community Shed – a former pathology building will house a community shed with the potential for workshops and other community activities, and will look out onto the new Matron Ruby Park, that features a community garden and children’s playground;
- Waranara Early Education Centre – the hospital’s former outpatient building will provide a 74-place early education and childcare centre; and
- Green infrastructure – the former administration building will act as a ‘green infrastructure centre’ for the town centre. A water treatment facility will supply recycled storm water for flushing toilets, green space irrigation and cooling towers, and two water storage tanks will be located on the South Sydney Hospital site. A local distribution network, or private wire, will supply power to nearby community facilities. The wire will allow power generated from a source such as solar, to be transferred to other buildings, increasing the use of low-carbon energy.
The City is spending $540 million over the next 10 years on extensive infrastructure and streetscaping works throughout Green Square, as well as new community facilities that also include an aquatic centre, library and plaza and more than 15 new parks and open spaces.
When fully developed, Green Square will accommodate close to 61,000 people living in 30,500 new homes, and provide around 21,000 permanent jobs – making it Australia’s densest residential area.
For more information, visit cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/green-square
For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Senior Media Adviser Keeley Irvin. Phone 0448 005 718 or email kirvin@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul Mackay. Phone 0432 182 647 or email pmackay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au