27 February 2012
The possibility of a $1 billion hotel and casino on Barangaroo could give Sydney a real boost as a tourism destination, says the Urban Taskforce.
Barangaroo must be a dynamic and bustling part of Sydney. says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. A dramatic statement that reinforces the existing designs could bring back the excitement that the previous hotel on the edge of the harbour had.
Clearly any new proposal will need to be compatible with the approved buildings and will need to work with the public spaces.
It was unfortunate that the previous iconic hotel was to be relocated but this new proposal could add that special character back into the mix.
The government will need to carefully manage the procurement issues and will need to ensure an open planning process but these can both be accommodated within the spirit of Sydney being a global city.
Sydney must position itself relative to Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai and this means developing exciting projects within new precincts. Barangaroo is the only available site in Sydney to create the equivalent of Singapores Marina Bay. But we must design the precinct to have good human scale at ground level and an exciting skyline that reflects Sydneys character.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
