Civic Centre Plan to Revamp Darwin’s Heart

Property and construction group DCOH has teamed up with the City of Darwin for a civic centre proposal earmarked for the CBD. 

The plans are expected to be filed this month with the Development Consent Authority.

It is planned the centre will be the focus of a precinct that would include a community plaza, and an expanded library.

Half of the centre’s 20 floors would be occupied by the City of Darwin.

Out of those 10, two floors will contain customer services, the library, a function space, council chambers, public meeting rooms and community space.

Office space for staff will occupy three floors and five floors would be for carparking and building operations.

The proposed civic centre is slated for a carpark site next to the existing civic centre, which would remain operational during construction. 

Designs for the proposed civic centre will pay respect to Galamarrma, the Tree of Knowledge.

The current civic centre has been in use for more than 50 years and has been deemed to be unable to meet the community’s needs. 

“We are committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff, and the existing building does not meet modern standards,” City of Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said. 

The new building would also include 400 carparking spaces and a plaza to connect the building to Civic Park. 

▲ The new civic centre will replace the current centre, which was opened more than five decades ago.

A community and stakeholder engagement process was carried out in 2022 to help create the design brief.

The City of Darwin will retain at least 51 per cent of the ownership of the building and contribute $77 million to develop it from existing reserves and borrowings. 

This will include a $30-million investment in the new carpark. 

The total cost for the project is estimated at $150 million with more than 500 jobs expected to be created during construction. 

Construction is expected to start next year and be completed in 2028.