A major overhaul of transport infrastructure is spearheading the city’s transformation.
The stage is set for the urban renaissance of Newcastle following the opening of a $200 million transport interchange in the heart of the city. The recently completed Newcastle Interchange brings a fully accessible, multi-modal transport hub to the city, connecting trains, buses, ferries, taxis, and kiss and ride facilities. The interchange will also connect with the Newcastle Light Rail link to Pacific Park, due to open in 2019.
The interchange and light railway form part of a $500 million+, multi-agency programme tasked with revitalising the city. Other infrastructure projects in the pipeline include the Hunter Expressway, Tourle Street and Mayfield improvements, and an inner-city bypass.
Reinvention of the harbourside city
Newcastle may have made a name for itself on the global stage as the largest coal exporting port in the world, but with more than $1.6 billion worth of development ready to roll out across the skyline, the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Nuatali Nelmes, believes the reinvention of the city is only just beginning.
Newcastle is on the cusp of transitioning from a great regional city to an emerging global city and we are doing our bit as a council to attract investment, jobs and opportunity,” she says.
Nelmes has good reason to be confident. The breadth and scale of development is sure to change the face of the city, with rejuvenation of the city foreshore, upsized university and TAFE campuses, and the development of a CBD Digital Precinct and innovation hub all following on from major investments in infrastructure.
The tide is rising high for residential development
With major new housing schemes springing up across the city, private sector investment in residential construction is on track to overtake government-funded projects in the next two years.
Major residential projects currently underway include the $10 million Bishopsgate Apartments in Wickham, the $73 million Verve Residences in Newcastle West, a $44 million aged care facility on King Street, and the $13 million Aero Apartments on Hunter Street.
The surge in residential housing development looks set to continue, with Property Council Hunter director, Andrew Fletcher, saying demand for residential property in Newcastle is “the strongest in history”.
Are you excited by the development opportunities changing the face of Newcastle? The Developers’ Forum is the ideal place to look for advice, support and partnerships for your next project.
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