City of Darwin Council is working with property developer, DCOH, to revitalise the heart of the city through the proposed development of a new Civic Centre.
The Council today advised it will soon lodge an application with the Development Consent Authority for the development of the new centre, which is set to transform the surrounding area into a welcoming precinct with a community plaza.
Lord Mayor, Kon Vatskalis said the newly developed Civic Centre will be an inviting place for the people of Darwin.
“The new Civic Centre will feature a larger library with an expanded footprint, meeting rooms and function spaces that can be booked by the community, new Council Chambers, space for a café and an improved Customer Service centre,” Lord Mayor Vatskalis said.
“The existing Civic Centre has served the community well for more than 50 years but is now unserviceable and a new development is required to meet the needs of the community.
“We are committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff, and the existing building does not meet modern standards.
“Importantly, the new building will include approximately 400 car parking spaces that can be used by residents, workers and visitors to the city and our new library.
“Our aim is that, once complete, the area will feature a cool, green community plaza connecting the new building with Civic Park, creating a place where people can visit, connect with others and engage in community and business activities and events,” he said.
It is proposed that the new Civic Centre be constructed on the car park site next to the current Civic Centre and the existing building, including the library, will remain operational throughout construction.
The Council says the design of the new Civic Centre will respect and give prominence to Galamarrma, the Tree of Knowledge, to ensure that it is protected.
Council undertook an extensive community and stakeholder engagement process in 2022, input from which has been used to develop the proposed development of the new Civic Centre’s functional design brief.
Council will retain majority ownership of the building, at least 51%. City of Darwin’s $77 million contribution for the proposed development of the new Civic Centre will be funded from existing reserves and borrowings – inclusive of a $30 million investment in a new carpark contained within the building.
The total project cost is expected to be approximately $150 million.
The new building will have a proposed total of 20 floors and will be built to a Property Council Australia (PCA) A-grade standard.
It is proposed that the Council occupies 10 floors of the new building, with two floors for customer service, a new library, new function space, Council Chambers, public meeting rooms and community space. There will also be an additional three floors of office space for staff, as well as five floors of car parking and building operational space.
“Our partnership with the City of Darwin as a local private developer highlights our commitment to growing the Territory,” said DCOH, Managing Director, Shane Dignan.
“With proven expertise in delivering large-scale commercial assets, we are confident in our ability to deliver projects on time and within budget, creating value for the community and our stakeholders.
“DCOH is committed to ten floors as part of the Civic Centre development, including 10,000sqm of Net Lettable Area (NLA), within the project.”
The new Civic Centre will also allow the Council to return the plaza space to the community including protection of Galamarrma and enhancing the connection through to Civic Park and Cavenagh Street.
Construction is expected to commence in the 2025 dry season and completion of the construction is expected in 2028.
For more information visit the project page at darwin.nt.gov.au/projects/civic-centre-redevelopment.
