A new flagship CIT facility, public transport interchange and a multi-bed Youth Foyer will all be built in Woden over the next four years.
With the price tag on these works totalling $250-300 million, construction is expected to create at least 520 jobs and will commence on the public transport interchange mid-2021, and on CIT Woden in 2022.
Students are expected to begin studying at the new campus at the start of the 2025 academic year.
The new CIT Woden campus will support up to 6,500 students annually and inject life into the tired town centre.
The campus will feature smart classrooms, simulated learning environments, commercial kitchens and hands-on training spaces to help prepare students in fields such as IT, cyber security, hospitality and design.
An on-campus multi-bed Youth Foyer will also be delivered as part of the project, providing integrated learning, accommodation and support for young people who are committed to education and training but are at risk of homelessness.
The ageing Woden bus interchange will be replaced with a new interchange on Callam Street. It is designed to deliver on the Woden Masterplan objectives and provide a safe, welcoming and connected environment with more bus stops and bus layovers supporting future increases in services.
A new Light Rail station platform will be built as part of the Woden Interchange project.
The Woden Valley Community Council, while welcoming the project as a whole, believe there are “much better sites available” for the CIT facility rather than its current proposed location – to the south and east of Geocon’s 18- and 26-storey dual building Grand Central Towers development.
The WVCC expressed dissatisfaction that the choice of site “was not up for discussion” during the feedback component of the design process conducted in June this year.
ACT Minister for Tertiary Education, Chris Steel, said the major infrastructure spend is an investment in Woden’s regeneration.
“This is a $250-300 million investment in jobs and Woden’s regeneration. This project is about building jobs in Woden today, to support thousands of students into the jobs of the future,” he said.
“This project will create a new front door to Woden, with a well-lit pedestrian boulevard connecting the interchange, CIT campus, the square and Westfield for a more vibrant and welcoming Town Centre.
“Our next step is to go through the planning approvals process to enable construction on the public transport interchange to start next year.”
Community feedback on the project was released in late July following a survey conducted in June.
A total of 402 surveys were completed from a mix of community, CIT staff and students, and Transport Canberra workers, with two-thirds of the respondents “completely in favour” of the project.
