Council set to announce design team for Sutherland Entertainment Centre redevelopment

Sutherland Shire Council is expected to announce the design team that will begin work on the major refurbishment of the Sutherland Entertainment Centre having completed an with Expressions of Interest process in early December.

The refurbishment project provides a significant opportunity to transform an ageing building into an exciting, modern and versatile cultural facility and Council will work with residents and the performing arts community throughout the course of the project.

Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce said the refurbishment is about fulfilling Council’s commitment to supporting a culturally rich and vibrant community, advising "our community love music and the arts, so we want to grow the range of opportunities to participate in and enjoy creative experiences. We want to support our local talent and bring great talent locally for the whole community to enjoy.

“For 18 years, our Hazelhurst Arts Centre has been a source of joy and enrichment for the whole community and now we’re working toward significantly enhancing our performing arts centres for our community, to enable the same high calibre experiences in music, theatre, dance, comedy and more.”

The Council sees the project as presenting an exciting opportunity to design a venue that will evoke the vibrancy of the performing arts, engage the community and enrich the surrounding town centre.

Mayor Pesce added “it’s a significant project so we’ll be taking a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach to development and will be providing an opportunity for the community to offer their feedback on the design concepts.”

As well as the significant work on the Entertainment Centre, the historic 1920s Memorial School of Arts at Sutherland will be brought back to its former glory and become a revitalised, boutique setting for music, theatre and more.

Sutherland Shire’s key third venue for performance and learning will continue to be at Engadine Community Centre, which will also be a valuable alternative theatre during the major refurbishment.

The major refurbishment of Sutherland Entertainment Centre will be rolled out over the coming years.

For more details and to keep up to date with progress go to sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/Community/Arts-and-Culture