A new square opposite Sydney Town Hall

Why we’re doing this

This new square is the next step in making Central Sydney a city designed for people. It will be a welcoming shared place where people can sit, relax, meet friends and take part in community events and major gatherings.

The Town Hall precinct has undergone significant change in recent years, with nearby light rail and metro connections bringing more people to the area. The square will provide much-needed public space for the growing number of people living, working and using transport in the area. By linking Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Square, George Street and the surrounding heritage buildings, the new public space will continue to transform the heart of our city.

Like other major global cities, Sydney needs well-designed public spaces where people can come together, spend time and connect. Our city centre attracts large numbers of people each day, but there are limited open spaces able to accommodate larger crowds or outdoor events. This square will help meet this demand and support the city’s ongoing growth.

The project has been more than 40 years in the making, with planning for the current site beginning in the 1980s when Council started acquiring properties. After decades of planning and property acquisition, we can now make this long-envisioned civic space a reality. 

The buildings on the site are now more than 50 years old. The rising cost of maintaining or upgrading them to comply with current standards has become increasingly prohibitive. With high vacancy rates in older office and retail buildings, retaining and upgrading these buildings is no longer financially sustainable. Creating this generous public space is a great long term investment for the community.

All costs for the square have been budgeted for in our long-term plans. It’s one of the many capital works projects designed to support a growing, vibrant, accessible and sustainable city.

The transformation of George Street into a people-friendly boulevard has attracted over $8 billion in private development investment so far. Now a destination in its own right, home to some of the city’s most iconic retail brands, hospitality venues with outdoor dining, and sought after commercial addresses. This new square builds on this success, continuing our work creating people-focused spaces that draw more people to visit, stay longer and support local businesses.

The square is also part of our long-term community supported strategic plan Sustainable Sydney 2030–2050 Continuing the Vision.

Project and site history

The new public square is located on Gadigal Country, near the catchment of the Tank Stream. For thousands of years, Gadigal people used walking tracks in this area to move between important places such as the freshwater stream, Warrane/Sydney Cove, campsites and ceremonial places. George Street is believed to follow one of these original tracks, with another crossing nearby along what are now Druitt and Park streets.

Sydney Town Hall was built between 1869 and 1889 on the site of the old Sydney Burial Ground. As the city grew, the town hall became an important civic meeting place for public meetings, celebrations, protests and cultural expression, often extending onto the street. The original covered area for horse carriages was replaced with the front steps in 1934, which have remained a popular meeting place ever since.

Ideas for a civic square near Sydney Town Hall go back to the 19th century, with several possible locations considered over time. In 1982, Council supported a proposal to buy properties to extend Sydney Square and create a new square opposite Sydney Town Hall. The first property on the site was purchased in 1985.

The block where the site sits has changed significantly over the past 100 years. This includes demolishing buildings to widen Park Street in the 1920s and building Town Hall railway station in the 1930s.

After extensive community consultation in 2007 as part of our long term strategic plan, 3 public squares linked by a pedestrian-friendly George Street was one of the project ideas with strong community support that we adopted. The new public square is also a key part of the Town Hall precinct public domain plan. The City of Sydney resolved to move ahead with the design and construction of the new square in February 2026.