“They didn’t shy away from any situation and were a valuable partner during the development build process. The Atticism helped us engage our community, manage tricky situations, and evolve organically to capture our more-pessimistic Inner West audience. They’re true partners—friendly, approachable, and nothing was ever too much.”
— Amalia Collins, Marketing Manager, Marrickville Metro (AMP Capital)
Marrickville Metro: Property Development PR for a $142M Redevelopment
Community engagement, crisis management and retail launch communications in Sydney’s Inner West
The Background
Marrickville Metro isn’t your typical shopping centre. For over 30 years, it’s been the heartbeat of Sydney’s Inner West, valued as a community space as much as a retail destination. In 2018, AMP Capital announced a $142 million redevelopment to introduce Smidmore Street, a new dining precinct designed to usher in the next era for the Metro while staying true to its roots.
The Atticism was engaged early in the process to support communications and PR throughout the multi-year redevelopment, playing a pivotal role in both strategy and execution across all phases, from pre-construction to post-launch and stakeholder transition.
Our Role: Development PR from First Plans to Handover
As the PR and communications partner, we worked hand in hand with AMP Capital and 44 retailers across food, beauty, convenience and fresh produce categories to ensure a smooth, authentic rollout.
Development-Stage Strategy
Through the build phase we crafted tenancy application documents, branding guides and staged public announcements, shaping every piece of messaging to speak to the Inner West’s unique, grassroots community values while handling enquiry and stakeholder management with clarity and care.
Community Engagement & Crisis Management
Major developments test community goodwill, and the Inner West doesn’t hand its trust to developers easily. We developed and implemented communications plans that built public support and navigated community concerns as they arose, supporting crisis and issues management with transparency and responsiveness throughout the build.
Retail Launch & Campaigns
For Smidmore Street’s launch we delivered earned media, media buying, influencer campaigns and content direction, alongside visual storytelling assets and full media strategy for individual retailer promotions across the new precinct.
Transition Support
When AMP Capital divested the asset to new ownership, we remained onboard to manage communications through the transition, ensuring consistency, clarity and a smooth handover across all PR and messaging.
Legacy of Success
This five-year partnership helped redefine Marrickville Metro’s identity while retaining its cultural authenticity, no small feat in one of Sydney’s most character-driven neighbourhoods. The result is a thriving precinct that feels just as much a part of the community today as it did decades ago, only with a refreshed vision that reflects its dynamic evolution.
Planning a development the community needs to believe in? We provide property development PR, community engagement and launch communications for developers and precincts across Australia. Want to know how we help brands evolve without losing their soul? Get in touch for a custom case study.
