This Sydney building was meant to be a ‘kids’ wonderland’. It sat abandoned for almost 20 years

Agiant empty claw machine, fake plastic igloos, an indoor pool covered in graffiti and a large hole in a glass window.

This is what an urban explorer, who goes by the username urbex_gc, saw when they stepped into the abandoned six-storey entertainment complex in south-western Sydney.

Known as the Panjo, the building was meant to stand apart from the thousands of indoor child play spaces that operate across Sydney. A 50s-style diner, restaurants, an ice rink, indoor swimming pools, mini-golf course, childcare centre, performing arts academy, a gym and women’s health retreat would all be available under the one roof in Leumeah, near Campbelltown. The centre was expected to attract 35,000 visitors a week and would be as big as the Chatswood Chase shopping centre.

The problem was, it never opened. Work on the ambitious 14,000 square-metre project stopped in 2011 following a shortage in funding, ending the developer’s dream of transforming the building into a wonderland for kids.

However, after almost two decades’ worth of damage and deterioration, there’s fresh hope for the Panjo. The building was recently sold to new owners earlier this year and, in September, they lodged plans with Campbelltown City Council to refurbish the building and transform it into a mixed-use precinct.

After development stopped on the facility, the unfinished Panjo became a popular destination for people who explore abandoned buildings and a hotspot for vandalism.

When urbex_gc went inside the building in 2021 it had already been abandoned for 10 years. Yet, the motion sensor lights were still working and they immediately flickered to life when the urban explorer walked onto the floor that was meant to become an indoor swimming space for children.

“While it was really nice to have good lighting for some flicks, it scared the hell out of me when they activated,” urbex_gc said, who spoke to this masthead under the condition they wouldn’t reveal their full name to protect their anonymity.

“Everywhere you looked the place had something different and unexpected.”

Since then, the building has decayed further.

Wood panels barring entrance to the facility have been sprayed with graffiti and holes from objects thrown into the building mark the glass windows.

Big dreams and failed plans

In 2008, work on the Panjo Destination Centre 4 Children was going smoothly – then the global financial crisis hit. The project slammed to a halt just one year later, a result of the crisis and a dispute with the lender, and former-owner Anthony Panzarino was forced to find additional funds to finish the $50-million facility.

In 2010, it seemed work to complete the building was back on track after the developer managed to scrape together some of the funds. It was great news for families in the area: the two pools were ready to be filled with water and the iceless ice skating rink was almost complete.

In a video posted by the Campbelltown Macarthur Advertiser the same year, Panzarino said “we’re back, bigger, better and happier than ever”, promising the entertainment centre would open sometime that summer.

That never happened and the development company collapsed into receivership one year later.

Hopes the building could be restored or redeveloped began to fade, until a development application to turn the building into a childcare centre, recreational facility and 139 apartments was lodged in 2014. But that plan, much like the Panjo, failed to be completed.

Earlier this year, the abandoned entertainment centre returned to market and was sold to Grange Road Group, with Michael Perry listed as the director. Perry confirmed the building would not be demolished, despite media reports stating otherwise, and is determined to give the Panjo a new lease on life.

He has big plans to restore the damaged centre and transform it into The Gateway, Campbelltown. If approved, the building would feature a childcare centre for 175 kids, medical, office and cafe facilities, as well as self-storage units and micro-warehouses available to rent.

Work on the site is expected to begin in mid-2027 and finish mid-2028.

“Panjo has sat unfinished at the gateway to Campbelltown for far too long,” said Perry, who is also the director of Silo Storage, a self-storage and warehouse company.

“We saw a chance to finally bring it to life with what this community genuinely needs.”