Developer Urban Property Group has unveiled plans for a $400m mixed-use Build to Rent development at 2 Fitzwilliam Street in Parramatta, with the proposal now on public exhibition until 22 September 2025.
Designed by SJB, following a design competition, the scheme features two towers of 40 and 48 storeys above a shared podium opposite Parramatta Station and the bus interchange.
Proposals include 703 Build to Rent apartments, 47 of which are earmarked for affordable housing for 15 years, alongside 50 specialist disability accommodation units and five additional apartments for carers.
The podium will deliver a 217-room hotel, a function centre and 684 sqm of retail at ground level. Five basement levels will provide 175 car spaces and 283 bicycle spaces. A new pedestrian link between Fitzwilliam and Argyle Streets will be accessible 24 hours a day, supported by landscaping and lighting improvements to enhance safety and walkability.
The scheme is part of the NSW Government’s State Significant Rezoning Program and has been declared ‘State Significant Development’ under the Planning Systems SEPP. It is projected to contribute 3.6% of the City of Parramatta’s five-year housing target.
The proposal reflects a change in use from the original concept plan approved in April 2024, which had envisaged one residential and one commercial tower. The updated scheme replaces the commercial office component with additional residential floorspace and a hotel, in line with market analysis and state housing policy objectives.
SJB’s winning design, supported by landscape architect Land and Form, was selected through a competitive process involving Bates Smart and Plus/Furtado Sullivan. The NSW Government Architect later granted a formal exemption from rerunning the competition after confirming that the revised residential-led scheme maintained the integrity of the winning design.
The development will also incorporate cultural principles following consultation with Dharug Elders through a Connecting with Country process facilitated by Ngurra Advisory. Insights from the process have informed the landscaping, materials and layout of the public domain.
The scheme at 2 Fitzwilliam Street is targeting a net zero-ready outcome by 2035, with all-electric systems, renewable energy integration and capacity for future battery storage.
The hotel component is designed to achieve a 4-star NABERS Energy and 3-star Water rating, while the residential towers will meet or exceed BASIX and SEPP Sustainable Buildings criteria. Embodied carbon reductions are also planned through the use of green concrete and low-carbon finishes.
Urban Property Group acquired the site in 2022 from Transport for NSW. The location, which has been vacant for over two decades, sits within the Parramatta CBD Planning Framework and benefits from major infrastructure investment including Parramatta Light Rail, Sydney Metro West and Parramatta Square.
The current application follows approval of early works in May 2025, allowing demolition and excavation to commence. Assessment of a site-specific LEP amendment is also progressing in parallel with the detailed SSD application.
The wider team on the project includes Ngurra Advisory as Indigenous Design Advisor, Beam Planning as Planning Consultant, BG&E Engineering as Structural Engineer, and E-Lab Consulting as Sustainability Consultant.
