Coming to Darling Harbour is a huge residential and commercial building envelope at Harbourside Shopping Centre, being 2 – 10 Darling Drive.

With a capital investment value of about $708m, the redevelopment includes the provision of new and improved public domain areas, through site links and open spaces, which will see the completion of the Darling Harbour precinct as a vibrant mixed-use, tourist, entertainment and commercial precinct.

Consistent with the Eastern City District Plan’s vision for a more competitive Harbour CBD, expected is a maximum gross floor area of 87,000sqm, comprising 42,000sqm of residential and 45,000sqm of non-residential floor space and a minimum of 3,500sqm of new publicly accessible open space.

While the proposal will interrupt views from neighbouring residential buildings and hotels, the impact has been mitigated by relocating the tower to the centre and redesigning and lowering the northern podium.

The creation of a significant new and improved public domain will complement the neighbouring developments in Cockle Bay, including the ICC, Sofitel Hotel, The Ribbon, Cockle Pay Park and IMAX.

The commercial component of this proposal is also a win for professionals working in Barangaroo.

Covering an area of 60 hectares on the western edge of Sydney’s CBD, the development of Darling Harbour began in the mid-1800s with the establishment of industry, railway lines, yards and depots.

Darling Harbour underwent a major transformation after the opening of the Western Distributor in 1972 and the NSW Government’s announcement of the Darling Harbour Precinct in 1984 for the 1988 Australian Bicentennial celebrations, which saw the construction of the original convention and entertainment centres.