Monday 27 March 2017

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Westfield's grand plan for William Street (1970)

For nearly four decades, Westfield was based in William Street in central Sydney. Whether you drove up the street or see it in view from the Domain or the top of Park Street, it was a big part of the streetscape. The famous Boulevard Hotel also shared the honour, and still is there today.

A lot of people forget that the office tower and the Boulevard Hotel were part of a grander scheme by Westfield




Source: Anon. 1970. "Exciting William Street project under way". The Sydney Morning Herald, November 5: page unknown

You'll notice above that the model is looking from William Street. Note that the Boulevard Hotel and the former Westfield Offices are at right. The scheme by Westfield comprised of:

*Two office towers - Only the tower (right) was built which was to house Westfield's offices.
*Motel (Boulevard Hotel) & motel
*Retail space
*Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The project would have been part of a greater scheme by city planners to turn William Street into a major boulevard, which simply has never come to fruition.

Had the scheme gone ahead, I think William Street would have been a more reputable address for businesses to be based and spurred further development on the city fringes, extending the Sydney CBD into Kings Cross.

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