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Developer Longton will choose between Watpac, Built and Icon to build their $300 million Mascot apartment project, Avantra.
The project has been delayed after Botany Council aired concerns over the development's proposed apartment sizes. The development has undergone several changes, including additional floors at the northern tower and increased parking.
Construction is now expected to begin in June with a completion date in 2017.
<a href="https://longton.com.au/" target="_blank">Avantra</a> was first launched in mid-2013, before development approval was obtained. When Botany Council required Longton to address issues around the design of the Avantra project, more than half of its 328 apartments had already sold.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/avantra%20mar%2018%20one.jpg" alt="">
Longton are putting a positive spin on the construction delays, with a media release stating that "the delay in construction has not dampened the enthusiasm of the early purchasers who have benefited financially as apartment prices in Mascot have risen by around 20% over the past 18 months".
The three builders are currently in stage two of the tendering process, and Longton intends to choose a builder by late next month.
The project was "re-configured" by MD+A Architects, while Archer + Wright redesigned communal areas to increase privacy for residents.
The development, on a 8,762 square metre site near Mascot train station, will comprise two towers – the 12 storey northern tower and the 13 storey southern tower – linked by suspended walkways. Each tower will have communal rootop gardens, with the an infinity swimming pool topping the northern tower.
Longton project developer John Green says the company sought tenders from five builders due to Mascot's "never-before-seen features". The development will include open-air walkways with glass rooftops, mimicking streets. Atria which span the full height of the development are intended to circulate cool air to the apartments and provide natural light. There apartment complex will also come with its own social media network, branded as iCommunity.
Following delays, the sales campaign for the apartments has not yet relaunched, but Belong Realty intend to resume marketing shortly.
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jrichardson-uRX5hFdKfN

Search for builder continues at Mascot, Sydney's Avantra after delays

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St Joseph's Refuge in Adelaide's Fullarton is up for sale.
The handcrafted sandstone building, on a 4,350 square metre plot, is over 100 years old, constructed circa 1900.
Currently used as a Christian church, the two storey building has around 20 separate rooms for meetings, offices or event spaces, plus bathrooms and kitchen areas, one approaching commercial size. The church congregation owns the estate.
Marketing agents Peter McMillan and Eloise McMillan of Toop &amp; Toop Hyde Park note in the property's listing that the property could be used for student or aged care accommodation, or as an educational, healthcare or religious institution, or as a particularly large family home.
They are accepting expressions of interest for the property at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-fullarton-119235755" target="_blank">82 Wattle Street in Fullarton</a> until 8 April.
The building was established as two 30 bed dormitories with a large hall and community room, with construction beginning in late 1900. Architect E J Woods designed the premises on the plot, which previously held a jam factory. Lady Tennyson opened the facility in September of 1901.
According to a 1900 issue of Adelaide's <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/36979270" target="_blank">The Advertiser</a>, the Catholic refuge was originally intended to shelter young expectant mothers or recent mothers who were unmarried, no matter their religion or denomination.
The <a href="https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1461&amp;c=1554" target="_blank">Adelaide Observer </a>in 1901 noted, however, that the Sisters of St Joseph's refuge also provided accommodation and care for women with criminal backgrounds and new migrants. The organisation, founded by Mother Mary MacKillop in 1963, was funded by a combination of public donations, church collections and earnings from the women themselves, some of whom worked in the laundry.
The refuge moved into the Fullarton premises after becoming too large for their previous Norwood premises. The Fullarton refuge provided room for "80 inmates and 30 babies", as well as the 10 or so sisters, according to the Adelaide Observer.
In 1963, the Daughters of Charity took over the institution, and it later became known as Louise Place.
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Fullarton, Adelaide's St Joseph's Refuge on the market

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Melbourne's appetite for inner city apartments will soon be outpaced by their supply, according to economic researchers BIS Shrapnel.
At their Melbourne business forecasting conference yesterday, BIS Shrapnel's managing director Robert Mellor and associate director of building forecasting, Kim Hawtrey, both warned of impending oversupply in the Melbourne multi-residential market.
According to BIS Shrapnel's forecast, by June 2016 there will be a surplus of 14,300 multi-residential dwellings in Victoria, with the majority in Melbourne.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/bis-march-18-one.jpg" alt="">
"Now is certainly the time to start sounding the alarm," said Hawtrey.
"If we keep on going at this rate, maybe not a year from now, maybe two years from now, the market is going to start to feel it."
The effects of the mismatched demand and supply will be seen in prices, said Mellor.
"If construction doesn't begin to ease back significantly in the next 12 to 18 months, then that will exaggerate the oversupply," explained Mellor.
He predicts either a "long, long downturn" where prices are depressed for a period of up to seven years, or a "very significant correction in price".
A recent BIS Shrapnel report on the inner-Melbourne apartment market noted that an annual average of 6,212 apartments are set to be delivered between 2012/13 and 2016/17, which is more than double the long term average of 2,563 apartments a year in the 16 years to 2011/12.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/Picture%2020.png" alt="">
"Furthermore, there are already approximately 2,000 apartments in projects currently under construction that are scheduled to be completed in 2017/18", writes BIS Shrapnel.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/Picture%2021.png" alt="">
Hawtrey warned yesterday that it wasn't just the inner-city that would be affected by an apartment market correction, but middle-ring suburbs, with tenants leaving for cheaper rents close to the CBD.
He noted that construction of high density dwellings in Melbourne is beginning to spread throughout the suburbs, with upticks in development in suburbs like Brunswick, Armadale and Doncaster.
<img src="/images/2015/03/18/bis-march-18-two.jpg" alt="">
While Hawtrey believes that the shift to apartment living will be permanent, predicting that multi-residential dwellings will one day makeup more than half of national dwelling commencements, in the short term, "we're overdoing it".
"Get ready for, two years from now, for that market to have a correction," warned Hawtrey.
"For me, if I was buying property now, I'd buy a detached house, rather than an apartment."
While former Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy approved many of the larger residential towers set for the Melbourne CBD, including the record-breaking <a href="/expert-insights/buying/sky-high-australia-108-launches-with-300-buyers-reportedly-already-in-the-bag">Australia 108</a>, Hawtrey said it is yet to be seen whether new Planning Minister Richard Wynne will continue the trend for high-density apartments.
{mijopolls 96}
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Price correction looming in wake of Melbourne apartment boom: BIS Shrapnel

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The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has awarded the first 6 Star Green Star – Communities rating to a residential masterplanned development at Alkimos Beach, north of Perth.
The first stage of the development, to be delivered by Lend Lease and LandCorp, will comprise 2,000 homes over 240 hectares. Upon completion, the master-planned development will cover 710 hectares.
LandCorp chief executive Frank Marra said the company intends to develop Western Australian residences sustainably.
"We encourage innovation and are delighted that our Alkimos Beach project has been recognised by the nation's authority on sustainable buildings and communities and acknowledged as a world leading development with global significance," said Marra.
The <a href="https://www.alkimosbeach.com.au/" target="_blank">Alkimos Beach development</a> was assessed by GBCA according to innovation, design, environmental sustainability, economic and liveability criteria. The result was announced at the Green Cities conference 2015.
Upon completion, the project will have six hectares of conservation reserves and 41 hectares of dune and foreshore reserves. According to LendLease, houses will be at most 800 metres from the local centre and transport links and 200 metres from a park space.
The masterplanned development will also include WiFi in public spaces.
While Lend Lease has been recognised for sustainability measures in its developments previously, these have largely been in single buildings and fitouts, said GBCA chief executive Romilly Madew.
"This 6 Star Green Star rating for a community project sets the bar for world leadership community development and demonstrates a long-term commitment to sustainability at scale," Madew said.
"We applaud the range of initiatives – from education campaigns to financial incentives to technology – that will help the residents of Alkimos Beach embrace more sustainable living."
"The importance of this rating cannot be understated. Lend Lease, LandCorp and the people of Alkimos Beach now have independent proof that this community will deliver economic, social and environmental sustainability. And the industry has proof that 'world leadership' benchmarks in community development are achievable."
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Alkimos Beach gets tick from Green Building Council

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Vacancy rates across Australia were down last month with Melbourne and Canberra's markets tightening the most, according to SQM Research. Meanwhile, vacancy rates continue to escalate in Darwin and Perth.
The national vacancy rate was down to 2.2% with 66,094 vacancies, from 2.3%, with 69,847 vacancies recorded in January.
Click to open in new window:
<a href="/images/2015/03/17/sqm-mar-17-one.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="/images/2015/03/17/sqm-mar-17-one.jpg" alt=""></a>
Source: SQM Research
SQM Research attributes Melbourne's vacancy rate drop of 0.5 percentage points between January and February to workers and tertiary students commencing the year after summer holidays. The research house recorded a 2.3% vacancy rate, down from 2.8% in the previous month. At the same time last year, Melbourne's vacancy rate was at 2.4%.
The same post-holiday influx of student and workers was credited with Canberra's vacancy rate downturn, with the rate dropping from 2.0% in January to 1.6% in February. Canberra has recorded the biggest decline in its vacancy rate over the past 12 months of any capital city, with the rate at 2.1% in February 2014.
In Perth and Darwin, SQM Research managing director Louis Christopher predicts that vacancies are likely to continue to climb throughout the year. While Darwin's vacancy rate was down slightly for the month, from 3.3% to 3.2%, in February of last year it was at just 1.3%. Likewise, in Perth the vacancy rate has remained stable at 2.6% over the past two months, but is up from February 2014's 1.9% result.
However, Christopher does not think escalating vacancy rates are necessarily quarantined to Perth and Darwin.
"Ongoing weakness in commodity prices will filter through to the jobs and property markets in Perth and Darwin," says Christopher.
"Nationally, a continuation in below-trend economic activity will likely push the unemployment rate up towards 7%, which will ultimately work to keep a lid on vacancy rates and rents in other capital cities, though Sydney rents may prove more resilient, having grown at close to 8% for housing over the year to March 10, given the city's tight vacancy rate."
Of all the capital cities, Hobart has the tightest rental market, with a 1.3% vacancy rate and just 358 vacant properties in February.
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National rental market tightens over February: SQM Research

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The award winning Haddow House sold for $3,571,000 at auction last weekend, a rare feat for Fitzroy North.
Nelson Alexander sales agent Arch Staver, who marketed the property with Rick Daniel, says the sale "really did test the market".
"North Fitzroy is not full of warehouse conversions," Staver told Property Observer, noting that renovated industrial sites are more common in the neighbouring Fitzroy, or the inner-eastern suburb of Richmond.
"It really was a stand out property".
The six bedroom home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy+north-119046907" target="_blank">11 Tucker Place in Fitzroy North</a> certainly does stand out, even among its fellow warehouse conversions.
The vendors commissioned Belgian architect Daniel van Cleemput to design the renovation of the home for their blended family. On the 545 square metre former factory site, van Cleemput designed the cleverly structured house, surrounded by gardens. Its design saw the home awarded the ARCHITEAM 2012 award for Best Design, Residential, New, and featured in architect and commentator Stuart Harrison's 2013 book New Suburban.
When van Cleemput was commissioned, the warehouse had no roof, just external walls.
{qtube vid:=hXPu9VE_2Tg}
The house, while offering flow between both the interior living spaces and between the interior and exterior, also provided privacy for its residences.
The home's enclosed bedroom spaces are all on the upper level, with the teenagers and the two adults living in separate parts of the building, connected by an outside deck. The parent's retreat includes a hydraulic-doored "pod" with a kitchenette, wardrobe and study, and opens directly to the hilltop garden. Meanwhile, the children's area has five double bedrooms, each with a view to the gardens, two shower rooms and a separate toilet.
On the lower level, there are open plan living, dining and kitchen areas, with full height sliding doors opening the interior to the surrounding gardens. The exterior is further invited in through translucent walls, which draw in the natural light. The outdoor spaces include a landscaped garden "hillside", a spa and deck and plant covered high walls.
Despite the house's connection with nature, it still retains many industrial features, including raw finishes and a structure exposed by its translucent panelling.
At Saturday's auction, there were around 200 observers, with three active bidders. Bidding for the warehouse conversion off a cobbled laneway began at $3 million with a bid from the eventual buyer, and came onto the market at $3.4 million. The $3,571,000 result makes it the most expensive known sale of a warehouse conversion in Fitzroy North, with the second highest known to Property Observer being a brick double fronted single level home at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-fitzroy+north-114997019" target="_blank">7 Tranmere Street</a>, which sold for $1,105,000 in October 2013.
According to CoreLogic RP Data, <a href="/news">Fitzroy North</a> houses recorded 10.3% capital growth over 2014, with a median house price of $1.5 million in January 2015.
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Fitzroy North's Haddow House warehouse conversion sells for more than $3.5 million

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While the majority of variable home loans available have dropped their interest rates following February's rate cut, 40% of variable loan rates stay on hold, according to comparison website Finder.
Of the 1,358 variable loans monitored by Finder, 815, or 60%, have had their interest rates cut since the Reserve Bank dropped the official cash rate on 3 February by 25 basis points. The cash rate now sits at a record low of 2.25%.
Some lenders are still continuing to pass along the Reserve Bank's cut, with Finder noting that interest rates were cut on 20 variable rate loan products in the past week.
Lenders who dropped variable rates in the last week include Commonwealth Bank, RAMS, Western Credit Union and Catalyst mutual, according to Finder.
Finder's Michelle Hutchison says borrowers should be proactive about keeping track of their home loans.
"While it's not surprising to see some lenders being slow to pass on the cash rate cut to their variable home loan customers, it's disappointing that some are taking advantage of the situation," she says.
"Many borrowers aren't aware of what interest rate they are being charged and may not realise that their lender hasn't passed on the rate cut."
She urges borrowers to compare available rates on the market and to consider asking their lender for a discount if they have failed to pass along the Reserve Bank's rate cut.
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40% of variable home loans yet to pass on February rate cut: Finder

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An Armadale house designed by late Melbourne architect Wayne Gillespie has sold.
The three bedroom home secured $3.55 million when sold through RT Edgar Boroondara last week.
Atypically, <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-armadale-118788407" target="_blank">7A Flete Avenue</a> has an in-ground pool located at the front of the plot, rather than the back - residents pass the north-facing pool and the sandstone terrace as they enter the house through the side.
The house has open plan living and dining areas on its lower levels, with a conservatory area at the rear. On the upper level, there are three bedrooms, including a master with a north-facing balcony overlooking the pool.
At $3.55 million, the house was the eighth most expensive to sell last week, according to CoreLogic RP Data.
The most expensive was a $6.5 million Rose Bay house at 22 Kent Road, which sold after 25 years of ownership.
CoreLogic RP Data's top 10 sales of the week ending 15 March:
<ol>
<li>22 Kent Road, Rose Bay, NSW 5 bed, 3 bath, 2 car house $6,500,000 McGrath Estate Agents 
</li>
<li>26 Strickland Street, Rose Bay, NSW 5 bed, 5 bath, 5 car house $5,200,000 Sydney Sotheby's International Realty 
</li>
<li>28 Rowland Street, Kew, Vic 4 bed, 2 bath, 1 car house $3,840,000 Marshall White Real Estate Hawthorn 
</li>
<li>58 Narrak Road, Balwyn, Vic 5 bed, 4 bath, 2 car house $3,800,000 RT Edgar Boroondara 
</li>
<li>13 Palmer Street, South Coogee, NSW 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $3,700,000 Ellison Zulian Property Maroubra 
</li>
<li>433 Bronte Road, Bronte, NSW 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $3,650,000 McGrath Estate Agents 
</li>
<li>78 Carrington Parade, Curl Curl, NSW 4 bed, 3 bath, 4 car house $3,600,000 Smyth Estate Agents Freshwater 
</li>
<li>7 Flete Avenue, Armadale, Vic 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car house $3,550,000 RT Edgar Boroondara 
</li>
<li>175 Raglan Street, Mosman, NSW 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 car house $3,320,000 Ray White Lower North Shore 
</li>
<li>2/43 Tobruk Avenue, Cremorne, NSW 4 bed, 2 bath, 2 car unit $3,275,000 Belle Property Neutral Bay</li>
</ol>
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Wayne Gillespie designed Armadale home sells for $3.55 million

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Two homes, just a kilometre apart, in Aireys Inlet are among this year's Easter auction offerings.
The double storey home with ocean views in Fairhaven will be auctioned on Sunday 5 April.
Set on a 920 square metre parcel, the home perched atop a cliff has views of a 6 kilometre stretch of Fairhaven beach. The three bedroom house, renovated in 2010, has direct beach access. Natural materials feature prominently, with timber cladding, columns and ceilings.
Agents Marty Maher and Mim Atkinson of Great Ocean Properties Aireys Inlet are expecting $2.75 million to $3 million for <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/26-lialeeta-road-fairhaven/Property-Details-buy-residential-8401114" target="_blank">26 Lialeeta Road</a> (pictured above).
Nearby <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/8-river-reserve-road-aireys-inlet/Property-Details-buy-residential-8145724" target="_blank">8 River Reserve Road in Aireys Inlet</a> (pictured below) will be auctioned the day before by the same agents, on 4 Saturday April.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/aireys%20inlety%20march%2016%20one.jpg" alt="">
The distinctive house is marked by a glass atrium at the entrance, which holds a spiral staircase leading up to the upper level and the rooftop terrace. The four bedroom, four bathroom house includes a gas open fire and views over the river valley.
It comes with $950,000 to $1 million price expectations.
Victoria's coastal Easter long weekend auctions aren't restricted to Aireys Inlet. <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/148-150-back-beach-road-portsea/Property-Details-buy-residential-8445140" target="_blank">148-150 Back Beach Road in Portsea</a> (pictured below), a five bedroom home, will be auctioned on Sunday 5 March.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/portsea%20%20march%2016%20one.jpg" alt="">
Known as Lido, the two storey house and its gardens span two titles at 1,500 square metres, with views over Port Philip Bay. The house with a pool is mareted by Kay and Burton agents Liz Jensen and Linda Boulter.
Jensen is also marketing <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/4-benjamin-parade-blairgowrie/Property-Details-buy-residential-8444826" target="_blank">4 Benjamin Parade in Blaigowrie</a>, which is to be auctioned an hour later, with David Heathcote.
While some vendors have chosen to take their homes to auction on the traditionally quiet Easter weekend, it seems the bulk of Victoria's coastal auctions will occur the weekend after. The second weekend of April will see Sorrento's <a href="https://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/3492-point-nepean-road-sorrento/Property-Details-buy-residential-8481806" target="_blank">3492 Point Nepean Road</a> (pictured below) go under the hammer through Max Prentice of Prentice Real Estate in conjunction with Hodges' Andrew Boyce.
<img src="/images/2015/03/16/sorrento%20mar%2016%20two.jpg" alt="">
The two cliffside allotments will be offered through executor's auction. Lot 2, which is accessed through Netley Avenue, is 1,592 square metres. Lot 3 is 2,789 square metres, and accessible from Point Nepean Road.
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Two Aireys Inlet homes among coastal Victorian Easter auctions

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A four lot, 2,800 square metre facility has been sold by the Salvation Army.
The former youth leadership facility is located on a waterfront block in New South Wales' Lake Munmorah. The Salvation Army had owned the 1960s era building, originally called Kiwi Ranch, for almost 20 years.
Four main buildings built over four lots at 38-44 Greenacre Avenue in Lake Munmorah included office space, a separate cottage, assembly halls and a commercial kitchen, with accommodation.
It was marketed by Ray White Thompson Partners selling principal Luke Thompson, who said the property was "one of the most iconic properties on the very best block of land". It includes a jetty and abuts a private reserve.
The facility first went to auction in July 2014 but failed to sell. The property found a buyer last month, after a 10 month campaign.
During its sale campaign Thompson said he expected interest from developers but also other organisations and institutions who may wish to renovate the facilities.
No sale price has yet emerged.
 
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Salvation Army sell four lot Lake Munmorah facility

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

Joel Robinson

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

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Jessie Richardson

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