Planning controls for church-owned land adjacent to St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Parramatta have now been finalised, delivering a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise this important precinct right in the heart of Sydney’s second CBD.
Last Friday the NSW Government put in place new floor space parameters for a site bounded by Church, Macquarie, Marsden and Hunter Sts to a enable multi-storey development including new parish premises.
With the final piece of the planning framework – which is also supported by Parramatta City Council and the NSW Government Architect – now in place, the parish will begin preparing development applications to bring its vision for a renewed St John’s precinct to life.
Plans include:
- More than 2,500 square metres of public open space in a major new civic square creating a new western forecourt for the Cathedral.
- New ministry facilities, including large auditorium spaces and other meeting areas for use not only by St John’s, but the local Parramatta community.
- The delivery of much-needed additional floor space in the Parramatta city centre right on the doorstep of major new public transport infrastructure.
- Reactivation of the local streetscape via new ground-level retail premises adjacent to the new civic square.
- Public access through the St John’s Cathedral site in perpetuity.
Rector of St John’s, Rev Bruce Morrison, says the gazettal is an important step in what has been a long journey involving a lot of hard work and plenty of prayer.
“We’re excited by the opportunity we have to make a real difference to the heart of Parramatta,” Rev Morrison said.
“St John’s has been a key part of the Parramatta community for more than 220 years, and we want to go on serving this community for generations to come. This project will enable us to do just that, while also delivering the kind of social infrastructure Parramatta has been crying out for.
“Our guiding vision for this project has always been to deliver a 100-year masterplan for the area that will fit with the long-term future of Parramatta, and St Johns’ role in it.”
While the project is led by St John’s itself, Sydney Anglican Property (SAP) has worked alongside the parish and their planning consultants jattca Property Solutions to help bring the project to this point. SAP’s CEO Ross Jones says the project is a fantastic example of using existing resources to bless future generations.
“We know that Parramatta is the geographic and demographic heart of our Sydney,” Mr Jones said. “And St John’s is blessed to be right in the middle of it.
“At SAP, we believe that church-owned property should be used to serve the community it is a part of. Thanks to the vision of the parish and the support of both Parramatta City Council and the NSW Government, these properties can now be used to truly transform the heart of our city.”
About St John’s
- St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Parramatta was established in 1802 and currently consists of 10 congregations in four different language groups – English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Farsi (Persian).
- The parish has a regular attendance across these congregations of more than 700 people and a membership of over 1,000.
- The congregations boast a rich ethnic diversity, and cultural blending with an English speaking second generation.
- Community services provided by the parish include weekly ESL classes, including many of Muslim faith.
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