The Kingston Foreshore Redevelopment is a major urban renewal program in the suburb of

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, the capital of Australia. This meant that at the start of the 21st century, the layout of the lake was significantly altered for the first time since its construction, on the southern shore of the East Basin, which was planned in 1997. A bidding process was enacted, and six construction firms were shortlisted for the contract in early 2003. In April 2007, the government awarded the contract, worth 1 billion dollars, to McMahon Contractors. Construction began in July. Multimillion-dollar luxury apartment complexes were built in the suburb of

, with properties selling for record-breaking prices. After a dispute over the environmental impact of the development, due to a lack of tree and wastewater recycling facilities in the area, building works commenced. In 2007, work started to reclaim land from the lakebed to form a harbour, which is expected to turn the area into an entertainment hub. It is expected that 1,700–1,800 dwellings or apartments will be constructed and that 7,000 square metres will be set aside for retail, 30,000 square metres for office blocks and 14,000 square metres for arts and cultural uses, while 19 hectares will be open to the public. Construction is expected to be complete by 2010, with a new island being created in the harbour. The

Kingston Powerhouse The Kingston Powerhouse is a disused power plant in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Kingston, Australian Capital Territory. It was designed by John Smith Murdoch and constructed from 1913-1915, when the planned ...

, which used to provide the city's power supply, was converted into the

Canberra Glassworks Canberra Glassworks is an Australian gallery in Canberra and glass art studio open to the general public to view the glass artists working. Opened in May 2007 by Jon Stanhope, it is the largest dedicated glass studio facility in Australia. Pla ...

in 2007, 50 years after the electricity generators stopped. The institution is the only facility completely dedicated to contemporary glass. A 22 m high tower of glass and light named ''Touching Lightly'', will be built at Kingston after being approved by the government in April 2009. It was selected from 42 submissions. An

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...

structure it uses

light emitting diode A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...

s, and is expected to be completed in mid-2009 at a cost of AUD450,000.

References

{{Lake Burley Griffin Buildings and structures in Canberra Redevelopment projects in Australia