Blacktown City Council has signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement with developer, Walker Corporation, to revitalise the city’s CBD.
The development is set to deliver more than 1,000 construction jobs over five years, and permanently add over 4,500 jobs and $920 million value every year to the City’s economy, Council said in a statement.
Blacktown City Council Mayor, Tony Bleasdale OAM said the opportunity to work with Walker Corporation on a transformation the same size as Parramatta Square was a “game changer” for the city.
“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,” Mayor Bleasdale said.
“We look forward to bringing our shared vision to reality with Walker to make Blacktown the best in the west.”
Walker Executive Chairman, Lang Walker AO said the opportunity to deliver an urban transformation which will change the way people think about Blacktown was exciting.
“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,” Mr Walker said.
The future masterplan delivers Council’s vision for the Blacktown Brain and Spinal
Institute, along with education, retail and commercial offices to the CBD.
“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,” Mr Walker said.
Blacktown is the most populous city in NSW and is expected to reach 615,000 residents by 2041.
Walker Corporation is a leader in Western Sydney’s growth, having helped transform Parramatta by delivering the new $3 billion Parramatta Square development in just over just five years.
Business Western Sydney Executive Director, David Borger said Walker coming to Blacktown was a major win for its 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,” Mr 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.”
Mayor Bleasdale said the more than $2 billion investment would secure the future of Blacktown’s business district.
“This is our next significant step in the transformation of the City that will shape this region
for generations to come,” said Mayor Bleasdale.
“This is a very important step for Council, but an absolutely giant leap for the community of
Blacktown City.”
“This project will generate $920m economic value every year to the City, providing a huge boost the CBD businesses and the economy of the City which is currently $22.35 billion per annum.
“The need for this is clear, Blacktown City is home to a population of more than 400,000 people, and our Council is planning to support one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in Australia. We have laid the plans for projects that will support our growth and provide vital employment opportunities in Blacktown City.”
