Edith Cowan University (ECU) has received approval from DevelopmentWA to proceed with its university campus in the Perth CBD.
This marks an important milestone in the ECU City campus project, part of the $1.5 billion Perth City Deal, a collaboration between the Australian Government, the Western Australian Government, and City of Perth.
ECU will move to finalising its schematic design plans and securing a main contractor for the project.
ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman CBE said the project will definitively reshape the Perth CBD.
“It will be unlike any other university in Australia,” Professor Chapman said.
The University’s Request for Tender (RFT) for Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), Early Works and Main Works recently closed, with ECU expecting to make an appointment in February next year.
Early site works on the multi-million-dollar project will commence in quarter two of 2022, and will pave the way for ECU City’s construction phase.
“We look forward to the construction phase of this project and the creation of one of the most dynamic, innovative and technologically advanced university campuses in the southern hemisphere,” said Professor Chapman.
ECU City will interface Yagan Square in the heart of Perth, and enhance the link between the city’s commercial and cultural precincts. It will offer a next-generation hub of technology, creativity and business, amplified by the presence of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and its more than 300 public performances a year.
Professor Chapman said the project will help drive economic growth and enhance the city’s vibrancy.
“ECU City is set to revitalise the Perth CBD by supporting more than 3,100 direct and indirect jobs during its construction and attracting more than 9,000 students and staff from 2025,” he said.
The development will be one of Perth’s largest building projects and will provide an economic boost while supporting local jobs during construction.
“The campus will create new vibrancy in the Perth CBD and generate new opportunities and benefits for local businesses,” said Professor Chapman.
