Two enormous and unused tunnels buried in Sydney‘s heart will become home to a slew of fancy bars, restaurants, and cultural attractions, under an ambitious new plan unveiled today by the NSW Government.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance today revealed the scheme to sell off the cavernous spaces attached to St James station in the city’s centre, saying other international destinations like London and Paris turned their subterranean haunts into cool spaces ages ago.
Constance said he hoped the spaces would eventually form part of Sydney’s personality and appeal to tourists, joining other landmarks like… oh, look, you are obviously aware of Sydney’s highlights.
“This is going to become part of our international tourism marketing campaign to encourage people to come to Sydney, to come to NSW and experience this incredible part of our history,” Constance said.
The tunnels were created in the 1920s as part of a plan to implement rail lines to Sydney’s eastern suburbs and northern beaches (lol). Unfortunately, two little hiccups known as the Great Depression and World War II occurred, which somewhat hampered the dream of a broader Sydney rail network.
The tunnels have remained unused for the better part of a century, with the exception of the occasional film shoot and a brief stint as a mushroom cellar.
Developers with a keen interest in the spaces have been asked to hurl their enquiries at Sydney Trains and CBRE. The project might actually come to fruition, too: God knows land above ground in Sydney is too expensive for anyone to buy, anyway.
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