Lendlease has been awarded the contract to deliver the Powerhouse Parramatta, marking a major milestone for the controversial project.
Lendlease will build the Moreau Kusunoki Genton designed museum, said to be the largest in NSW, with over 18,000 square metres of exhibition and public space.
St Georges Terraces will be revitalised and incorporated in the Parramatta Powerhouse, however the historic, 140-year-old Victorian Italianate Villa, Willow Grove will be dismantled, placed in storage and eventually relocated to a different site.
Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said following a competitive tender process Lendlease has been appointed to start construction, with work to begin early next year.
“Powerhouse Parramatta is the biggest cultural investment since the Opera House and now we have selected a contractor to build the museum, we can get on with the job for the community,” he said.
Parramatta MP Geoff Lee said the project will be a major boost for the economy.
“More than 4,000 jobs will be created during construction including more than 300 trainees and apprentices, with hundreds more ongoing jobs to be supported upon completion,” he said.
Managing Director of Lendlease Building Australia David Paterson said he is excited to work with the NSW Government to deliver the project.
“We are committed to partnering with western Sydney communities and businesses to deliver this project,” he said.
“We already have partnerships with four Western Sydney based steel fabrication companies and look forward to signing up many more local suppliers across Greater Sydney.
“Sustainability will be at the heart of this building and its construction and we are proud to be delivering Parramatta’s first public 6 Star Green Star building.”
Last month the green ban imposed by the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) on the Willow Grove site was lifted.
Despite a four-year-long community campaign for its preservation, demolition works on the historic villa are currently underway and are expected to be completed within the coming months.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.