SYDNEY DEPARTMENT STORES: Waltons Town Hall closing day (1987)

I was motivated to share this post after a recent posting of newspaper advertisements from a previous entry on the Old Shops Australia Group on Facebook.

I shared the advertisements, but I did have a newspaper clipping from the last day of trading at Waltons Store at Town Hall on 9 February 1987 before it would be demolished for the Park Plaza/Skytower complex.

It was anticipated that Waltons would return by October 1988, but that did not eventuate as the Bond Corporation struggled to obtain approval for their tower, and eventually sold the site to Kumagai Gumi and Sogo (Japanese Department Store chain) for approximately $278 million in 1989.

 

Source: Andrews, M. 1987. "Half-price clearance as an old shop shuts". The Daily Telegraph, February 10: 7. 

With items marked down to half price, an estimated 100 000 shoppers ventured through the doors creating an atmosphere like that of the Boxing Day sales. 

The Sydney Morning Herald (10 February 1987) reported that it took over an hour to clear the store as staff funnelled customers down towards the ground floor when the doors closed. For those still there, bargains of up to 80% were on offer 

Later that month, Waltons was sold by Bond Corporation to the Venture chain, marking the end of the Waltons Department Store chain. Waltons Town Hall was no more.

Related Entries

Remember this? - Waltons Town Hall Closing Down Sale (1987)

You may also find my series on the Evolution of the Citigroup Centre worth viewing as it was the redevelopment of the site that was behind the closure and demolition of Waltons Town Hall.

• Original 1982 Scheme
• Park Tower (1986)
• Skytower (1987)
• Park Plaza (1988)
• Park Plaza IV (1988)
• Park Tower (1990)
• Park Tower II (1994)
• Citigroup Centre (2000)
• Citigroup Tower & Galeries Victoria in 2018
• "What if" (What might have eventuated had any of the unbuilt schemes had proceeded.)

The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - New Skytower Article (1987)

In 2018, I presented a series of entries on the evolution of the Citigroup Centre at 2 Park Street, focusing on the proposals to redevelop the former Waltons site during the 1980's and 1990's.

One entry focused specifically on a 1987 proposal for the 102 storey/421 metre tall Skytower to be built on the site. If built, it would have been the second tallest building in the world at the time.  In 1987, the tallest skyscraper in the world was the 442 metre Willis Tower in Chicago.  

Recently as I was organising my collection, I came across a 1987 article from The Daily Telegraph that reported that the Bond Corporation were still confident that they would receive approval as they attended to planning problems and also shifted the tower towards Park Street to allow sunlight to filter to street level. 

 

Source: Anon. 1987. "Bond is certain Skytower will get go-ahead". The Daily Telegraph, November 12: page unknown. 

SERIES: The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - Park Plaza IV(1988)

A render of Park Plaza IV. A citation is featured in the article below.

Last week, we looked at another setback for the Bond Corporation in their attempts to build a major tower on the former Waltons Department Store site in Park Street when plans for a 79-level office tower were scrapped, knowing that the plans were not going to be approved.

Source: Chancellor, J. 1988. "Will it be fourth time lucky for Bond?". The Sydney Morning Herald, September 13: 30.

In September, plans were unveiled for a scaled-down 56-level tower, which had similar setbacks to the 79-level scheme. Crone & Associates continued to remain as architects.

It would be the last proposal bought forward by the Bond Corporation. In January 1989, it sold the site to a Japanese Consortium comprising Japanese companies Kumagai Gumi and Sogo (Japanese Department Store chain) for approximately $278 million.

Previous Schemes

• Original 1982 Scheme
• Park Tower (1986)
• Skytower (1987)
• Park Plaza (1988)

SERIES: The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - Park Plaza (1988)

Bond Corporation's Park Plaza Scheme of 1988. Full citation can be found further down this entry.

Last week, we looked at Bond Corporation's Skytower/Park Plaza scheme of 1987. After they couldn't garner support for Skytower/Park Plaza, they went straight back to the drawing board. By the middle of 1988, 22 levels had been removed from his 1987 scheme and lodged plans for a 79 level tower which was 305 metres tall. At the revised height, it was the maximum allowable height that the Civil Aviation Authority would accept. On the Sydney skyline, it would have been the same height as Sydney Tower. Crone and Associates remained as architects.

Source: Chancellor, J. 1988. "Bond to go it alone on Park Plaza". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 7: 35

By August, plans were scrapped as the Bond Corporation had been advised by Sydney City Council and the Planning Department that approval would not be given.

Next week, we will look at yet another scaled down proposal for Park Plaza.

SERIES: The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - Skytower (1987)

Above: The Daily Mirror published an artists impression of how Skytower would appear as seen from Kirribilli in October 1987. 

Source: Anon. 1987. "Untitled" (Artists Impression). The Daily Mirror, October 5: 7.

Over the past fortnight, we have looked at the early schemes for the Citigroup Centre in Park Street. In 1982, Alan Bond had purchased the Waltons Department Store chain and wanted to redevelop the site of their flagship store in Park Street. In 1983, approval was given for a retail complex with a 28 level storey office tower rising above it. This was increased to 35 levels and then in 1986, plans for Park Tower were unveiled.

In 1987, Alan Bond continued to pursue the redevelopment of the Waltons Site in Park Street. In February, the Waltons store closed and was demolished ahead of construction. 

It was during this year, he unveiled his most ambitious proposal of all - Skytower.

Skytower was more than 2.5 times taller than his previous proposals at approximately 421 metres tall and would contain 102 levels.

Above: A colour render of Skytower. This was sourced from the Skyscrapercity Forums but the author and publisher are unknown.

While this was slightly shorter than the proposed 445 metre CBD-1 Tower, it received much more coverage. Crone and Associates were the architects.

Plans began to be released to the media in May 1987. Initially, his Skytower proposal was to be 95 levels, but by the end of the year was scaled up to 102 levels.

Source: Pelly, M. 1987.  "Bond plans 95-storey city tower". The Daily Telegraph, May 23: page unknown.

The Skytower development also included a major upgrade to the Hilton Hotel, which was acquired by Bond Corporation and would be integrated into the complex. The Sydney School of Arts Building in Pitt Street would also be preserved. Bond Corporation was also prepared to purchase buildings along the southern side of Park Street to convert the area into a public square (Sydney Square) as a condition of approval, along with a monorail station.

Source: Aubin, T. 1987. "Bond men put their case for city tower". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 26: 7. 

In November, the tower was given the name Park Plaza and Sydneysiders were invited to attend a special exhibition at the Sydney Town Hall.  They could view and comment on the proposed plans. Below is an advertisement (split into several sections) that was published in The Daily Telegraph on November 17, 1987.

Source: Bond Corporation. 1987. "Park Plaza" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, November 17: 12-13.

Source: Bond Corporation. 1988. "Untitled" (Artists Impression). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 7: 35.

An enlargement of the model above as published on the front page of the June 29, 1987 edition of The Daily Telegraph. 

But getting approval was difficult. As reported in my recent feature on CBD-1, Planning Minister Bob Carr wanted to restrict the height of tall buildings in central Sydney. The Civil Aviation Department had also advised Sydney City Council to restrict buildings to 305 metres (height of Sydney Tower).

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects also had their own concerns. President Lawrence Neild questioned the financial viability of the structure given that lift cores would need to take up space on the lower floors. Overshadowing, wind patterns and excess car parking (1000 proposed spaces) were identified as concerns.

Given the concerns, it was not going to be approved. In fact, it was rejected twice - firstly in August 1987  (95 level scheme) and then November 22 (102 level scheme), just two days prior to the public exhibition of plans. Despite the rejection, Bond Corporation proceeded with the public exhibition to gain public support.

It was reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on December 1 that design revisions would result in a reduction of height by 30 levels.

Therefore, Bond Corporation were sent back to the drawing board.

Next week, we will look at his attempt at a scaled down Park Plaza.

SERIES: The Evolution of the Citigroup Centre - Plans unveiled for Waltons Site redevelopment (1982)

Apart from World Square, there is one other city site where redevelopment proved to be a very long saga.

2 Park Street is home to the Citigroup Centre a 48 level tower that rises over the former Waltons Department store site.

Today, the building and the site are very well ingrained on our city streetscape. One can walk past yet forget the drama faced just to get a building on this site.

Growing up in the 1990s, I was used to one sight - hoardings, which hid one of the biggest "holes in the ground" in the city.

But how did we end up with the building that we see today along with the Galeries Victoria?

The story begins in 1982. Alan Bond had purchased the Waltons Department Store Chain and Norman Ross.

The flagship store on Park Street at Town Hall comprised of seven buildings including the Town Hall Hotel. Bond wanted the store in simply one building.

Source: Robertson, R. 1982. "New department store will boost jobs: The City's first for 50 years". The Sydney Morning Herald, September 1: 2. 

Donald Crone was commissioned to design a new store to replace the previous store, but also provide a retail complex and office tower. Plans were unveiled in August 1982 for the site. Apart from a new Waltons Store, there would be 90 shops, restaurant, tavern and 28 storey office building to house the headquarters of Bond Waltons (Waltons and Norman Ross). The estimated cost was $100 million and would be completed by 1985.

A clearer copy of the Artists Impression as featured in The Sydney Morning Herald article (above) from September 1, 1982.

The tower was to be placed on the Southeastern corner of the site at the intersection of Park and Pitt Street.

Approval was granted in January 1983.

Source: Coultan, C. 1983. "Council gets $2m...Waltons gets shopping centre". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 28: 2. 

As time wore on, Alan Bond had bigger plans brewing. The proposed building heights increased to 35 and then 43 levels.

Next Week, we will look at his most ambitious proposal - Skytower.

1988: Alan Bond's flamboyant demolition plan

In Sydney, implosions of major city skyscrapers are not permitted, but Alan Bond wanted to "blow up" the Commonwealth Office Building at Chifley Square, now home to Chifley Tower.

Never happened of course, but obviously he wanted it to be a spectacle.

I'm glad it never happened. I question the safety of implosions of such buildings, and the potential dangers they irk.

And to watch it come down, that would have been very hard to see given how built up that part of the city is.

Source: Bita, N. 1988. "Bond in bid to blast building," The Daily Telegraph, August 24:5.