$40 million pedestrian plaza planned for North Sydney needs NSW government backing.

By ANNA USHER

Plans for a $40 million pedestrian plaza in the heart of North Sydney CBD could be shelved unless NSW Government funding is secured in the next few months.

Paul Nicolaou, Executive Director of Business Sydney, said the visionary project to complement the newly completed Victoria Cross Metro Station has reached a timeline crisis.

His warning comes as Business Sydney and North Sydney Council prepare to call for government money to help create the 7,500sqm plaza by closing Miller St to traffic between the Pacific Highway and Berry St.

“North Sydney needs a beating heart,” Mr Nicolaou said, “making Miller St a people friendly plaza provides that beating heart.”
In a report released on Tuesday, Mr Nicolaou said the new precinct was a “golden opportunity” to return part of Miller St to the people.

“It [Miller Place] is inspired by world cities such Copenhagen, New York City and Barcelona with a nod to what has been achieved across the harbour with the transformation of George Street,” he said.

“The plaza would cost an estimated $40 million but is likely to cost significantly more without a seamless progression from the current Victoria Cross project.”
According to council, the North Sydney workforce is forecast to grow by more than 20 per cent from 80,000 to almost 99,000 by 2036.

Miller Place could accommodate commuters, visitors and students arriving via the Victoria Cross Metro Station and the Greenwood Plaza portal linking to nearby North Sydney Station.

“With thousands of Metro passengers coming and going each day, it makes all the sense in the world to have an area of open space at its proverbial ‘front door’.
North Sydney Mayor Zoë Baker said that giving North Sydney a pedestrian precinct to bring workers, students and residents together was an idea that had been championed since the 1970s.

“More than $11 billion in investment has catapulted North Sydney into being the second fastest growing CBD in Australia and the opening of the Metro has brought North Sydney even closer to the rest of Sydney,” Mayor Baker said.

“Miller Place is vital to injecting vitality into the North Sydney CBD. Existing restaurants and bars will be joined by a variety of new food and beverage offerings for residents, visitors and, importantly, the 80,000 workers and 12,000 schoolchildren who commute to North Sydney each day.”

Lendlease Project Director of Victoria Cross, Alex Frankl, said that the area is being transformed into a round-the-clock precinct that would serve to benefit from a pedestrian plaza on Miller Street.

“The Victoria Cross precinct has been in a substantial growth phase since the opening of the new metro, welcoming new shops, restaurants and grab-and-go options, with the commercial tower to follow at the end of this year.

“It would be a huge asset to have additional space for our roughly 5,000 workers to spend their breaks, meetings or time outside of work hours and will complement the six new restaurants due to open on Miller Street in early 2026.”

Read the report HERE.