News
Largest regional arts centre reaches new heights

22 May 2022

Workers recently celebrated a key milestone on the landmark Geelong Arts Centre project.

people in hard hats and hi vis on a construction site
Ferne Millen Photography

The $140 million Little Malop Street redevelopment is putting Geelong first with local partnerships, skills, innovation and jobs at the heart of the project, as builders today placed the last beam on the four-storey structure.

Work by contractor Lendlease will continue apace with the “topping out” complete and the landmark project on track to be completed by late 2023. The project will create more than 600 jobs during construction, with more than one in three workers who have contributed to date hailing from the Geelong region.

Designed by award-winning Victorian architects ARM in collaboration with a broader design team, more than 145,000 work hours will have been completed by the time the Centre’s two new theatres, outdoor atrium and dining facilities open to the public. New back-of-house and administration facilities will also be created.

The expanded, state-of-the-art centre is expected to create up to 300 ongoing jobs in the region, taking in the arts and tourism sectors.

The Little Malop Street redevelopment is the largest stage of Geelong Arts Centre’s transformation, following the refurbishment of the Playhouse Theatre in 2010 and the $38.5 million Ryrie Street redevelopment, completed in 2019.

Funded by the Victorian Government, the project is being delivered through a partnership between the Geelong Arts Centre, Creative Victoria, Development Victoria and Lendlease.

For further information on the project, visit geelongartscentre.org.au.