Parramatta continues boosting its place as the second CBD in the greater Sydney metropolitan area with its announcement in February of the new ‘Engineering Innovation Hub’. This joint venture between the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Western Sydney University (WSU) will offer a world class ‘Engineering Innovation Hub’ on the current site of the Commercial Hotel in the Parramatta CBD.

The development is set to cost $280M and the project will be completed by Charter Hall. Charter Hall built the $220M PSQ1 (Parramatta Square 1) 14 story vertical campus for the Western Sydney University, completing it in 2017 just metres away from the current proposal for this University.

The two universities developed a custom-designed, 15-storey, 27,000 sqm vertical Hub at Hassall Street to house a joint undergraduate engineering program alongside Western Sydney University’s architecture and business courses.

Complications in the project arose from the sewer running through the site and the necessity to develop a new multi level basement. A sewer deviation into Hassall Street was not available, and detailed designs were completed which included a sewer deviation within the site and the sewer to be suspended in the basement.

Project completed in 2021.