Parramatta’s Phillip Lane brought to life with creative transformation

Phillip Lane in the Parramatta CBD has been transformed into a welcoming shared public space with art, street dining and creative lighting thanks to $100,000 in funding from the NSW Government.

City of Parramatta Council has temporarily turned the service lane into an inviting and vibrant entertainment strip to help support local businesses and kickstart the night-time economy.

“With the help of our City’s fantastic artists and small businesses, we have transformed Phillip Lane in the heart of the Parramatta CBD into a bustling hot spot with more outdoor dining,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Bob Dwyer said.

“Our local businesses have had a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Parramatta Light Rail construction, and this urban revitalisation project is just one way we have provided support and helped welcome people back into the City.”

Other recent Council initiatives include free parking, a gift card program, and a ”˜Go Local’ marketing campaign.

“By turning Phillip Lane into a welcoming and visually appealing space, the adjoining local businesses have more outdoor space for entertaining customers, while residents and visitors will experience an exciting new side to Sydney’s Central River City,” Cr Dwyer said.

Phillip Lane, which has been brought to life with colourful furniture, plants, music, creative lighting and a cloud installation by Capto Collaborative/ANL Design, is open to the public from 5pm to 10pm every Friday and Saturday night until 19 December.

Participating businesses who have expanded their outdoor dining into the laneway include Lonestar Rib House & Brews and John Belvedere.

The project is funded through a $100,000 NSW Government ”˜Streets as Shared Spaces’ grant, which provides grant funding for councils to test and pilot new and innovative ideas for streets as safe, shared public spaces, in line with COVID-19 social distancing requirements.

Dr Geoff Lee, Member for Parramatta, said the funding will help provide more public space for the community to relax, dine and meet.

“Not only will this project improve how we use our public spaces, it will create employment opportunities and make our streets more attractive and welcoming for people,” Dr Lee said.

For more information, visit discoverparramatta.com/phillip-lane

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