Macquarie Centre is a shopping centre in the suburb of Macquarie Park on the North Shore of Sydney and is located opposite the main campus of Macquarie University. Transport The Metro North West Line offers frequent services to Macquarie University station directly next to Macquarie Centre with trains running from Tallawong to Chatswood. Macquarie Centre has bus connections to the Sydney CBD, North Shore and Northern Sydney, as well as local surrounding suburbs. It is served by Busways, Forest Coach Lines, Hillsbus, Transit Systems and Transdev. The majority of its bus services are located in Herring Road in front of the shopping centre's main entrance. Macquarie Centre also has multi level car parks with 4,900 spaces. History In 1968 Grace Bros. purchased 16 acres of land in North Ryde with plans to build a $12 million shopping centre. Rival department store David Jones had shown interest in the area and developed plans with Hooker Investment Corporation (now LJ Hooker) to build their own shopping centre known as Garden City at Epping Road, Macquarie Park on what was industrial land. David Jones had difficulty seeking approval with the plans rejected by Ryde Municipal Council and they were forced to lodge their plans with the State Planning Authority. Garden City was designed by Donald Crone, one of the leading architects who had designed the Sydney Tower. The plans included 80 speciality stores, an office tower and a distribution centre which would replace the one at Alexandria. The initial development application made by Grace Bros was not approved by council and instead lodged with SPA which was later rejected. Grace Bros unturned submitted a further appeal with the support of three town planners. In 1969 Grace Bros purchased further land and by November 1969, the State Government approved the Grace Bros proposal while David Jones proposal on zoning grounds was rejected. Throughout the 1970s Grace Bros barely opened a store with the Macquarie store set to be their first full-line store in over a decade. Work began in March 1979 on the site adjoining the university when the AMP Society agreed to become the majority shareholder and provide greater share of the finance for the $80 million shopping centre. Throughout the construction period the centre had faced industrial disputes with the Industrial Commission awarding $24 over their awards in November 1979 as major site allowance. After further problems arose workers were offered $1000