Green Square, New South Wales

Green Square is a precinct in the inner-east of Sydney, Australia, in the suburbs of Alexandria, Zetland, Waterloo, Rosebery and Beaconsfield. It is 4 km south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.

Green Square
Sydney, New South Wales
Green Square with railway station entrance
Postcode(s)Under review by the Geographical Names Board of NSW
LGA(s)City of Sydney
Federal Division(s)Sydney, Kingsford-Smith
Localities around Green Square:
Alexandria Waterloo Zetland
St Peters Green Square Kensington
Mascot Beaconsfield Rosebery

The centre of the Green Square precinct is at the junction of Bourke Road, Botany Road and O'Riordan Street. Green Square railway station on the Airport & South Line is located at this junction.

The area is predominantly light industrial, with a small amount of high-density residential development. The area is undergoing one of the largest urban renewal projects undertaken in Australia. The urban renewal area spans 292 hectares.[1] According to the Lord Mayor, "Green Square will provide 20,000 new homes; 22,000 jobs; and house 40,000 new residents".[2]

History
Advertisement for Green Square Town Centre on the platform of the railway station

Green Square takes its name from the small park formerly at the junction of Bourke Road, Botany Road and O'Riordan Street. The park was named in 1938 to honour Frederick Green, Labor MP for Redfern and a tireless promoter of local industry and jobs who was a mayor of Alexandria.[3]

In December 2007, construction work began on the Green Square town centre at the intersection of Botany Road, O'Riordan and Bourke Streets, with the demolition of the Waterloo Incinerator on the site.[4] However the project moved slowly over the next few years. But in March 2012, the project entered a new phase. The Government announced that the dilapidated Joynton Smith building at the old Royal South Sydney Hospital site had been torn down to kick start the A$8 billion project. Once the demolition phase was completed (including the demolition of a number of existing buildings) work started on community infrastructure, including; a library and plaza, a community shed, a community creative centre with artists' studios and workshops and a park. The creative centre was completed in May 2018[5] and the library and plaza were opened in September 2018.[6]

Town centre

In 2001 Landcom held an international planning competition to select a design for the Town Centre at Green Square. The team of Arets, Turner and McGregor won the competition in 2001 to masterplan the project. An LEP was subsequently prepared based on the competition winning design. In 2011 amendments to the LEP were drafted to suit the requirements of Leighton/Mirvac/Landcom who sought to increase the amount of development allowed. The amended LEP approved by the City of Sydney in 2012 included additional development height and bulk whilst increasing the amount of retail and commercial space. A new library and plaza was planned to be located near the Green Square railway station as part of the area's commercial and retail hub. The new Green Square library and Plaza will be officially opened by the Mayor of Sydney on Saturday, 27 October 2018.[7]

Public plazas and park

In 2007 the City of Sydney and Landcom engaged in an extensive community consultation with local residents to develop plans for two public plazas: an urban stream and a local park in the town centre. The designs prepared by McGregor Coxall and a large consultant team were well received by the community and a Development Application was approved by the City of Sydney in 2009. The design won a planning award from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects in 2009.

Library and plaza

In June 2012 another international design competition was launched for a $25 million library and the redesign of the approved $15 million plaza by the council. Five shortlisted architects were chosen by the jury to submit more detailed designs and in February 2013, the winning architect Stewart Hollenstein, in association with Colin Stewart Architects, was announced.[8]

Transportation

Green Square railway station is an underground railway station served by the Airport & South Line. The Lord Mayor is calling for Light Rail to be extended to the area.[2]

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See also

Two other large scale, inner city urban renewal projects in Sydney:

References
  1. "Green Square". City of Sydney.
  2. "Billion dollar Green Square project starts with a bang". Government News.
  3. The City Residents Guide 2006, City of Sydney
  4. Frew, W. Blowing Waterloo's stack for Green Square. Sydney Morning Herald, 1 January 2008.
  5. "Green Square's new cultural centre comes to life | City of Sydney - News". Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  6. "Green Square Library and Plaza opened". City Of Sydney.
  7. "Green Square Library and Plaza launch | What's On - City of Sydney". What's On - City of Sydney. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  8. "Architects go underground to come up with a winner". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  1. "Green Square - City of Sydney". www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
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