The tender for the estimated $145 million worth of work for the completion of the Civic and State Square redevelopment has closed, with an estimated $50 million of that to be spent on a new art gallery.

The redevelopment was originally announced on April 24, 2017, as part of the bigger City Deal on which the Federal Government would spend $100 million, with the Territory Government saying it would also spend $100 million over four years across the city. Based on a breakdown of proposed projects, the State Square component would have cost about $20 million.

While the tender document states the Territory Government would spent $165 million over five years on the project, the Federal Government’s 2021 City Deal progress report published in November showed there was $194.5 million in then-Gunner Government spending that had already been spent or allocated for works for the Civic and State Square redevelopment.

There has already been $26.7 million spent on the underground carpark, $2.8 million to demolish the Chan building cost, a $7 million contract was awarded in 2019 to move the NTG computer centre that was housed in the building, and there was $500,000 for a “masterplan”, and other money spend on awarded tenders to contractors for a variety of associated works since 2018.

ANALYSIS: Civic and State Squares costs balloon to close to $200m from original $20m announcement

The tender says remaining works cover the State Square Art Gallery, which the government had previously estimated to cost about $50 million, leaving about $95 million to be spent on the following:

• Tropical tree walk – traffic to be blocked on part of Smith Street with tall trees for all year sun and rain protection;
• Events lawns – lawns for festivals and events;
• The Central Heart – a centrally located shaded area with a water feature;
• Forecourts – Parliament House and Supreme Court forecourts with water-features; and
• Liberty Square – design commencing shortly with construction anticipated in late 2022.

In July last year the tender for the art gallery was awarded last July for an undisclosed sum, while in April the government awarded a $305,000 tender to Clouston Associates for the design of Liberty Square.

It also took more than three years for the Territory Government to put out a tender to create a business case for the project, which only came after it had already spent close to $40 million. The tender was awarded to Deloitte for $265,000 through a private select process rather than through a public process.

In March the government also put out a tender for the development of a masterplan that could see up to $100 million spent on the Museum and Art Gallery NT over ten years.