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Lend Lease has secured the settlement of its UK Bluewater Shopping Centre sale to Land Securities Group PLC. 
The combined pre-tax value is £696 million or A$1.221 billion. 
The total value to Lend Lease including management rights delivers an initial yield of approximately 4%. 
The Bluewater Shopping Centre, located in Kent, United Kingdom, on which work began in 1995, transformed a former derelict chalk quarry into one of the top performing retail assets in Europe. 
It opened in 1999 and anchored by three department stores and over 300 retailing, catering and leisure units, the centre helped set the benchmark for quality retailing in the UK.
The centre was valued at £1.83 billion at June last year, implying a value of £549 million for Lend Lease’s stake of 30%.
The transaction settled today, 25 June 2014.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Lend Lease's Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent sale secures 4% yield

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Mirvac has confirmed it is among the bidders for the Kingswood Golf Course site in Dingley Village in Melbourne’s south-east. 
The 53.4-hectare site has the capacity for about 700 dwellings.
The Australian Financial Review says it is expected to sell for about $100 million. 
The sale is being handled by EY for the Peninsula-Kingswood Country Club.
The 105 year old Dingley club merged with Peninsula Golf Club to ensure its financial viability last year, and a decision was made to sell off the Dingley course by the members of the private golf club where 63% of their members voted in favour.
Locals have produced a 20-page book, Kingswood: The Central Park in Dingley Village, covering the loss of the amenity and the possible environmental and social impacts of any housing redevelopment.
The club is currently reviewing the expressions of interest, general manager Heath Wilson said.
Picture courtesy of Facebook. 
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Mirvac keen to buy Dingley's Kingswood golf course

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The Sydney Antique Centre, at 517-543 South Dowling Street, Surry Hills, has been sold. It is Australia's oldest, and one of the largest, antique centres with over 50 antiques and art dealers.
Property Observer gleans it fetched about $9.2 million <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-offices-nsw-surry+hills-501108211" target="_blank">through DB Property agent Eric Lundberg</a> who was seeking offers over $9.25 million for the landlord, Neil Burley.
The purchaser is the Karageorge family's Stasia Holdings. 
The 1,308 square metre holding had been marketed with vacant possession as suitable for residential redevelopment with its B4 mixed use zoning.
It comes with 2,600 square metre space, plus car parking for 10 cars. 
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South Dowling Street is predominantly Victorian in character with some later Federation and Inter-War development. 
Long known as Kings Cross landlords, the Karageorge family most recently spent $7.95 million on a Foveaux Street, Surry Hills office in late 2012.
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Sydney Antique Centre sold for $9.2 million in Surry Hills

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Aldi and Costco are setting up in Adelaide.
Aldi has purchased a site in Regency Park for their distribution centre to service the planned network of stores in South Australia. 
The Naweena Road distribution centre is planned as a 30,000 square metre space due for 2016 completion.
The plans are to open between 40-50 stores in the South Australian market over the long term. 
Costco have started construction on their 14,000 square metre facility at Kilburn due for 2015 completion, part of its expansion.
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Aldi and Costco heading to Adelaide

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Botanical artist Cherie-Christine Curchod and partner Rob Curchod have sold their water access only Pittwater retreat, Le Haven.
Listed for sale with an asking price of $1.2 million, it fetched $1.15 million when bought by environmental scientist, Dr Marcus Lincoln-Smith.
The 1950s cottage at Coasters Retreat was last traded in 2006 for $1.04 million.
With its French provincial style, the two bedroom cottage featured in the November 2011 issue of Country Style magazine.
The 700 square metres property had been<a href="https://kathrynhallrealestate.com.au/listings/id-5083-sold-sold-sold" target="_blank"> listed through Kathryn Hall of Kathryn Hall Real Estate</a>. 
They have bought at Palm Beach for $1.07 million, buying a property initially listed in late 2011 with $1.8 million hopes.
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Artist Cherie-Christine Curchod's cottage Le Haven, Coasters Retreat sells

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Thwarted plans to demolish a 19th century North Melbourne hotel to make way for a four-storey 30 serviced apartment block have been appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The initial City of Melbourne decision to refuse the $10 million application to demolish on heritage grounds was being appealed by the developer, Yuan Shuo Liang.
Objections to the Royal Park Hotel demolition have come from neighbours, ABC journalists Virginia Trioli and Russell Skelton.
Skelton, the head of the ABC’s fact checking unit, was present at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing, the Australian Financial Review wrote.
<a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-retail-vic-north+melbourne-5806395" target="_blank">The hotel was bought for $1.95 million in early 2012</a> from the Milesi family.
The 1930s renovated hotel opened in the 1850s gold rush as the Lightning Hotel before becoming the Royal Park. 
The decision on <a href="https://urbanmelbourne.info/projects/melbourne/399-405-queensberry-street-north-melbourne" target="_blank">the </a><a href="https://urbanmelbourne.info/projects/melbourne/399-405-queensberry-street-north-melbourne" target="_blank">KHAK Architects-design</a> will be handed down in about six weeks.
“The notion of the corner pub is a little bit like churches – they’re a receding land use,” VCAT senior member Russell Byard said during the appeal hearing on Tuesday, the AFR noted.
“The (planning) problem is to find a contemporary use for a building originally built as a corner pub – or a church, for that matter. . . they are often turned into flats, or restaurants or things of that nature.”
The proposal drew 10 objections.
Russell Skelton has lived in the neighbourhood since the mid-1990s, then adding the neighbouring 132 square metre vacant property in late 2012 with a $610,000 purchase with Virginia Trioli.
It was also bought from the Milesi family.
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ABC journalists Virginia Trioli and Russell Skelton opposing North Melbourne hotel demolition

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Kahala, the new Clareville waterfront four years in the making, has been bought by the Fox family.
The settlement shows the sale price as $12 million, so the Title Tattle forecast that it was likely to be close to $12 million was on the money.
It was bought by William Samuel Fox, III and Ann Elizabeth Fox, about whom few details are known.
The north facing 25 metre beachfront<a href="https://avalon.ljhooker.com.au/BX3F58" target="_blank"></a> comes with tri-level home on its cascading 1,663 square metre Hudson Parade site.
There are views across the Pittwater to Lion and Scotland islands. 
Much was made in the marketing of its kitchen, designed by Porcelanosa Studio and finished with Spanish granite benchtops, mother of pearl splashbacks and Miele appliances.
At the water's edge it boasts boatshed with the sale including a 6.1 metre amphibious sealegs boat thrown in.
There was also a glass mosaic infinity edge gas heated pool and spa.
<a href="https://avalon.ljhooker.com.au/BX3F58" target="_blank">It was listed in April 2013 through LJ Hooker Avalon agent David Watson</a> and Ken Jacobs at Christie's International with property columnist Margie Blok writing that its grounds came with a meditation hut and a pizza oven.
The property on Sydney's northern beaches peninsula had been listed at more than $12.5 million by David Desmarchelier, chief executive at Boartes Consulting, a security company that had contracts for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Its 2007 purchase was $9.15 million. 
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Kahala, the $12 million Clareville waterfront bought by William Samuel Fox, III

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The Block television personality Shelley Craft and her estate agent husband, Christian Sergiacomi, are now auctioning their Byron Bay hinterland home, The Rise.
<a href="https://www.byronbaypropertysales.com.au/listing-71213-The-Rise" target="_blank">The tropical five bedroom, three bathroom hideaway </a>sits on 6,100 square metres at Ewingsdale in the hinterland.
It has been home to The Block co-presenter and husband, known as Serge, who has been a cameraman on The Block, since they bought it in 2010 for $1.61 million.
The couple have been reported by Fairfax Media's Domain as seeking equestrian acreage, but Property Observer gleans they recently spent $2.05 million on an 8,050 square metre property at neighbouring McLeods Shoot, a substantial discount as it had been initially listed for sale at $3.5 million-plus in 2010.
The couple are busy building on the property which was long owned by the McGettigan pioneering family who who first settled in Byron Bay in 1882.
The forthcoming five-bedroom 5 July auction Ewingsdale offering, which has views over Byron Bay, was renovated only recently. 
Craft describes its as raw and eclectic, with a plantation/tribal style. She brought in the team at EcoChic, the Gold Coast-based interiors company that specialises in furniture and homewares sourced from environmentally sustainable, fair trade practising suppliers, to help style and furnish her home. 
It has around 290 square metres floor space.
Jeremy Bennett, of Byron Bay Property Sales, is reportedly expecting more than $1.5 million at its 5 July auction, so property pundits will be interested to see if the professional duo can turn a profit.
Title Tattle gleans The Rise property has actually been for sale since January 2013 when it came with $1.85 million price expectations.
The prior owners took 10 months to sell having tried initially for $1.99 million.
Craft and Sergiacomi were married in 2009 at their prior house in the Byron Bay district.
In 2008, Craft signed with Nine taking over at Australia's Funniest Home Videos.
She began as co-host on the lifestyle series, Domestic Blitz alongside Scott Cam in mid 2008. Her time on The Block began in 2011.
In August 2010 Craft gave birth to her first child a baby girl, Milla Grace, with their second daughter, Eadie Rose born in June 2012.
They also have a puppy, Aldo since late last year.
The entrepreneurial couple also operate a tech business following the launch of The Builder App, an online trade directory.
It helps find trades people for home renovators, derived from their observation of struggling contestants on the Channel 9 renovation series. The couple collaborated on the app with Wategos builder, Max Iacopetta.
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Inside The Block's Shelley Craft Byron Bay hinterland auction offering, The Rise

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A new Hunters Hill riverfront record has been secured at $12.5 million for a six-bedroom Chevalier Crescent residence.
The buyer is upgrading mining executive Yong Zhang from the Australian uranium explorer Zeus Resources.
The 1,690 square metre property within the Pulpit Point precinct was sold by the Tran family who bought it in 2002 for $5.35 million
The prior <a href="/news">Hunters Hill</a> record stood at $10.68 million just next door when a home on 1,300 square metres was sold in 2007 by the Panzarino family, according to RP Data.
The sale took place May 22 through Trisha Guo of First National Gladesville.
Zhang and his wife Chun Feng Wu have owned another Hunters Hill waterfront home, five bedrooms on 784 square metres, which they bought on Mount Street for $4.19 million in 2007.
<a href="https://www.zeusresources.com/board-of-directors.asp" target="_blank">The mining company website </a>shows Yong Zhang holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Shandong Construction College and has an extensive career in property development, real estate sales and investment. Mr Zhang has extensive property interests in China with over 1,600 employees.
Mr Zhang was instrumental in securing the cornerstone investment in Zeus by China Metallurgical Geological Bureau, via its subsidiary Zhengyuan International Mining Company Limited.
 
Image courtesy of Google Maps. 
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Hunters Hill's record $12.5 million riverfront sale

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The eight level, 34-room octagonal-shaped Hotel Saville in South Yarra has been sold. And the whisper is to Channel 9’s The Block for $7.35 million.
But there's no confirmation from Ben Baines and Ted Dwyer, the Colliers International selling agents, simply saying the property had sold to a local developer.
<a href="/expert-insights/investing/on-the-market-hotel-saville-a-piece-of-the-south-yarra-skyline">The property was sold with a permit for 51 apartments by the vendor</a>, Simpo Solutions Pty Ltd directed on purchase by Ray Huang.
The 3.5 star hotel has been trading since the early 1970s, when it was built with 360 degree views including the city across Fawkner Park. 
Located at<a href="https://rca.colliers.com.au/property-land+development-vic-south+yarra-501125927" target="_blank" style="line-height: 1.3em;"> 1-5 Commercial Road</a>, and currently trading as Hotel Saville of South Yarra, the property was marketed as a "premium opportunity well suited to residential developers, hotel/motel developers, home owners and investors".
The Herald Sun reported it sold on Friday to Channel 9’s The Block for approximately $7.35 million - and will be the biggest site the series has taken on.
“We’ve had no contact with Channel Nine or The Block,” the agent reportedly told the Australian Financil Review, though that's not the final word as the Watercress Production company typically utilises the services of their architects, Brenchley Architects. 
So Property Observer isn't yet convinced either way, as previous reports of The Block's next intended location have been awry.
Channel 9 doesn't offer confirmatory comment on The Block's acquisitions until the filming is underway, as part of its 'keep'em guessing' marketing strategy.
Despite some doubting by Property Observer, The Age has pinpointed the likely next location elsewhere in South Yarra after the forthcoming Prahran series.
Property Observer notes Brenchley Architects has recently lodged a $2.4 million 10 apartment, development application at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-unitblock-vic-south+yarra-116269171" target="_blank">27 Darling Street, South Yarra</a> which has a caveat on it pursuant to a purchase by Watercress Productions, suggesting the 10th and possibly subsequent series could be undertaken at the popular Melbourne suburb.
Following an influx of interest from potential purchasers, Colliers International sold 1-5 Commercial Road, South Yarra in one line with a nearby 450 square metre car parking block at 270 Punt Road.
The Hotel Saville, which was sold with vacant possession, obtained in excess of 200 enquiries with 10 formal offers.
"Interest came from local and offshore residential developers as well as hotel/motel operators," Ben Baines advised.
“It was a very rare opportunity to acquire a landmark property offering such substantial upside potential.
"Local developers fought off offshore interest to secure the property.
“Local developers are still dominant in Melbourne’s suburban markets given their knowledge of owner-occupiers who will ultimately be purchasing the end product,” Mr Baines said.
 “This is in contrast to many of the CBD developments which are targeting investors, particularly those based overseas.
“That being said, offshore groups are increasing their activity and enquiries on suburban sites and as such we are likely to see high profile sites in the suburbs start to be snapped up by offshore groups, in particular larger sites with potential for in excess of 60 apartments.
“Market confidence within the suburbs is as strong as we have seen since before the GFC, with residential development sites now consistently transacting for in excess of around $130,000 per potential apartment. 
"Looking back 24 months, it was rare for apartment sites to achieve more than $100,000 per potential apartment.” 
The South Yarra address also made the site more attractive, with the suburb’s median two-bedroom apartment price currently sitting at $620,000.
“The properties have great access to popular attractions and amenities such as the Prahran Market, Chapel Street, Fawkner Park, the Botanical Gardens and Albert Park Lake. St Kilda Road, the Monash Freeway and public transport are all nearby, while The Alfred Hospital is just down the road." 
In fact the in the 1990s some of its rooms were briefly rented to the Alfred Hospital.
In 2002 the hotel was in the news after it was alleged Reservoir man Shane Chartres-Abbott violently raped a client in a hotel suite, with part of her tongue missing.
The gigolo Chartres-Abbott was arrested shortly after the attack with the victim's blood on his pants and her phone in his bag. With the forensic evidence, medical reports, the victim's testimony and witness statements, Chartres-Abbott presented a bizarre, headline-grabbing defence that he was a 200-year-old vampire.
Chartres-Abbott was subsequently executed outside his Reservoir home in 2003 as he left for the County Court during the rape trial.
The hearing for Mr Chartres-Abbott's murder is under way at the moment.
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The Block South Yarra? Octagonal Hotel Saville mystery

Kew has long been regarded as one of Melbourne's premier residential suburbs. It's a location defined by its grand period homes, leafy streets and some of the city's most prestigious schools, yet it has often sat just outside the spotlight cast on neighbouring Hawthorn and Camberwell.

Increasingly, however, buyers are recognising that Kew offers much of what draws people to those suburbs, with a quieter residential setting, exceptional amenity and long-term owner-occupier appeal.

Within a few minutes' walk, residents can access Kew Junction, one of Melbourne's most established village centres. Cafés, bakeries, restaurants, supermarkets, boutique retailers and everyday services are all on the doorstep, with local favourites including Centonove, Adeney Milk Bar Cafe, and Frank &amp; Harri creating the type of walkable lifestyle that has become increasingly difficult to find in Melbourne's inner east. Beyond the immediate neighbourhood, Glenferrie Road's renowned shopping and dining precinct in Hawthorn and the retail, dining and entertainment offerings of Camberwell Junction are both just a short drive or tram ride away.

The suburb is equally well connected. Tram routes 48 and 109 provide direct access to the CBD, while High Street and Cotham Road connect residents to the wider inner east.&nbsp;Nearby access to the Eastern Freeway also places the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne Airport within easy reach, adding another layer of convenience for weekend travel.&nbsp;It's a rare combination of connectivity and tranquillity, where quiet residential streets sit just moments from some of Melbourne's most established shopping and lifestyle precincts.

For families, Kew remains one of Melbourne's most tightly held addresses. Carey Baptist Grammar School, Xavier College, Methodist Ladies' College, Trinity Grammar, Ruyton Girls' School and Genazzano FCJ College are all nearby, while the Yarra River parklands, walking trails and sporting clubs provide another layer of lifestyle appeal.

It's within this established pocket that developer Ricdanic is delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/wimba-ave-kew-9-11-wimba-avenue-kew-vic-3101">Wimba Ave</a>, a boutique collection of just 13 residences across two buildings named after its location on the tree-lined Wimba Avenue,&nbsp;within one of Kew's most prestigious pockets where homes have been known to sell up to and above $8 million.

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The residences prioritise the space that buyers are increasingly searching for but struggling to find in established suburbs. Living areas extend beyond five metres in width, ceiling heights range from three to five metres, and apartments open onto private gardens averaging around 125 sqm. Selected residences also feature balconies of approximately 60 sqm, while premium inclusions include Miele appliances, double-glazed windows, EV readiness, fully electric systems and a 7.2 NatHERS energy rating.

Architect Chris Idle says opportunities to deliver homes of this scale within established suburbs have become increasingly uncommon.

"There are very few opportunities to do these kinds of developments in leafy, established suburbs," he says. "To get this level of amenity, natural light, and architectural freedom in such a setting is extremely rare."

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The architecture draws on Kew's established character through the use of handmade Krause bricks, while landscaping by John Patrick introduces 23 plant species, including nine native varieties, creating an environment which focuses just as much on nature as it does the building.

Construction on Wimba Ave is well underway by renowned high-end builder Sinjen, with completion expected in late 2027. Prices start from $2.22 million.

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Joel Robinson

The enduring appeal of Kew's tree-lined streets and village lifestyle

"For me, it's the location." That was the first thing Chris pointed to when reflecting on why he and his wife Marita decided to purchase at Candela Ivanhoe, the under-construction new apartment development by Salter Brothers in the heart of the north-eastern M​elb​ourne​ suburb. ​

"We've lived here before… everything is here," Chris said.

"Our doctor is around the corner, there's dentists, pilates, everything we need, restaurants, fast food places, two train stations, Ivanhoe and Darebin, both in walking distance. You don't need anything else."

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Just 10 kilometres from Melbo​urn​e's CBD, Ivanhoe combines direct city connectivity with the amenity of an established village community. Residents have access to highly regarded schools, expansive parklands, public transport, and a thriving retail and hospitality precinct centred around Upper Heidelberg Road, all within a neighbourhood that has retained its leafy character despite its proximity to the city.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/candela-ivanhoe-40-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe-vic-3079">Candela Ivanhoe</a> sits within the heart of this established landscape, positioned just moments from Ivanhoe Village and within walking distance of many of the suburb's most sought-after amenities.

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From Candela, residents can access cafés, grocers, wine bars, restaurants and essential services on foot, while Ivanhoe Station and Darebin Station provide direct connectivity across Mel​bour​ne. The development is also surrounded by some of the suburb's best-known lifestyle destinations, including Pinkie, Laurent, Enni, Docasa and Woodfire Pizza e Cucina, alongside Ivanhoe Plaza, Woolworths, pharmacies and specialty retailers.

Green space is another defining feature of the suburb. Darebin Parklands, Ivanhoe Park, Nellie Ibbot Park and the Yarra River trail network provide extensive opportunities for recreation, while Ivanhoe Golf Course and Ivanhoe Tennis Club continue to underpin the area's long-established lifestyle appeal.

The suburb's education offering further strengthens demand. Ivanhoe Grammar School, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, Mary Immaculate Primary School and Ivanhoe Primary School have helped establish the area as one of Melbou​​rne's most sought-after schooling precincts, attracting families and downsizers alike who want to remain connected to the area.

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While location was the priority for Marita and Chris, the project itself also needed to meet their expectations.

"Whilst location was paramount, I was also looking at design of the environment and Candela ticked every box," Marita said.

"We're just thrilled with our choice."

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Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/salter-brothers">Salter Brothers</a>, Candela Ivanhoe has been designed to complement its village setting, with an emphasis on generous floorplans, natural light and practical everyday living.

Residents will have access to a range of shared amenities, including a communal rooftop garden and dedicated residential lounge, complemented by a ground-floor café and lifestyle wellbeing centre, helping foster the sense of community already emerging among future owners.

That approach has resonated strongly with the market. More than 90 per cent of purchasers at Candela Ivanhoe are owner-occupiers, with buyers ranging from downsizers and second-home buyers to young families and first home buyers, creating a genuinely multi-generational community of grandparents, parents and children. It reflects a broader shift across Melbo​​urne's apartment market, where buyers are increasingly prioritising neighbourhood quality, lifestyle amenity and long-term liveability.

Currently under construction by Ironside, Candela Ivanhoe comprises 58 apartments. Candela Ivanhoe is scheduled for completion in the coming months, and residents can move in from September. One to four bedroom residences, prices from $649,000 and limited opportunities remaining.

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Location and lifestyle drive demand at Candela Ivanhoe

As apartment buyers increasingly look beyond the four walls of their residence, the quality and depth of shared amenity has become a defining factor in how developments are designed and experienced, particularly in the high-rise, new apartment development space.

In Southbank, where high-density living continues to evolve, developers are placing greater emphasis on creating environments that support wellbeing, connection, and convenience as part of everyday life.

That approach sits at the heart of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aura-at-melbourne-square-7-hoff-boulevard-southbank-vic-3006">AURA</a>, the latest residential tower in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/osk-property">OSK Property</a>’s $3.5 billion Melbourne Square precinct. Rising 67 storeys above Hoff Boulevard, the 673-apartment development has been conceived around what OSK describes as a “vertical wellness ecosystem”, a layered collection of amenities that extends throughout the building rather than being confined to a single podium level.

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The amenity offering begins on the seventh level within the AURA Club, a dedicated resident hub focused on health, relaxation, and daily convenience. Here, residents will have access to an indoor swimming pool, cold plunge, spa, sauna, and steam room, alongside a fully equipped gym, reformer Pilates studio, and yoga room.

The wellness facilities are complemented by a range of spaces that acknowledge the changing ways people live and work. Work-from-home lounges and co-working areas sit alongside a library, music room, games room, cinema facilities, and open-air terrace spaces, providing residents with flexible environments that can adapt throughout the day.

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Beyond the internal amenity, AURA introduces a series of Japanese-inspired gardens that form a quieter counterpoint to the tower’s social spaces.

Landscaped retreats feature curated outdoor dining, tranquil courtyard seating, fire pit, and a tea house pavilion. Rather than functioning as simple recreational areas, the gardens have been designed as places for reflection and informal gathering, drawing on principles of balance, nature, and calm that underpin the project's broader design philosophy.

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The social amenity continues to evolve as residents move higher through the building. Levels 49 and 50 house the Meridian Club, where a lounge bar, conservatory spaces, and private dining rooms take advantage of elevated city views. At the summit of the tower, the exclusive Cumulus Club spans Levels 66 and 67, offering additional lounges, private dining, and meditation and treatment rooms positioned above Melbourne’s skyline.

For OSK Property, the extensive amenity offering reflects a broader focus on wellbeing as a core component of apartment living rather than an added feature.

“Aura stands tall as an exemplar of holistic wellness – its focus on social, physical and mental health culminate in a building that is calming, restorative and relaxing, where residents will have their own sanctuary within the well-connected and sought-after Southbank,” says OSK Property CEO Chong Boon Woon.

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AURA’s amenity strategy extends beyond the tower itself through its integration with the wider Melbourne Square precinct.

Residents will have direct access to Kennedy Park, Southbank’s 3,745 sqm landscaped public park, alongside a full-line Woolworths supermarket, childcare centre, hospitality venues, and approximately 1,600 sqm of additional retail planned within AURA’s lower levels. Together, these elements create a highly connected residential environment where daily needs, recreation, and wellness are woven into the fabric of the community.

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As Melbourne’s apartment market continues to mature, developments are increasingly judged by the lifestyle they provide beyond individual residences.

Through its combination of wellness facilities, landscaped retreats, social clubs, and precinct-wide amenity, AURA represents a shift toward a more comprehensive model of vertical living, one where shared spaces play as significant a role as the homes themselves.

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AURA elevates amenity living at Melbourne Square

Builder-developer Scion is the latest to target Sydney's booming Hills Showground Metro precinct, filing plans for more than 100 apartments within walking distance of the station.

Scion has lodged a concurrent rezoning and State Significant Development Application for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/27-33-middleton-avenue-castle-hill-nsw-2154">27–33 Middleton Avenue</a>, where it plans to replace four existing homes with an 11 and 14-storey mixed-use development comprising 109 apartments, six affordable housing dwellings, and a ground-floor café.

Designed by BHK Architects, the proposal includes three levels of basement parking with 174 spaces, more than 1,200 sqm of communal open space, and extensive landscaping across the 3,791 sqm site.

The development has been designed as two buildings connected by a recessed wintergarden spine, with the 14-storey building positioned to the south and the 11-storey building to the north.

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The apartment mix has been weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 13 one-bedroom apartments, 55 two-bedroom residences, 31 three-bedroom apartments, six three-bedroom lofts, and four four-bedroom homes. Six apartments will be dedicated as affordable housing in line with the NSW Housing SEPP.

According to the Architectural Design Report by BKH, the proposal seeks to create "a place-responsive architecture" inspired by the natural landscape surrounding Cattai Creek, while strengthening the public domain through landscaping, active frontages and a neighbourhood café.

Atlas Urban, in its Urban Design Report, says the proposal takes a different approach to increasing density around Hills Showground Station by favouring a more slender, vertically articulated built form over a conventional mid-rise outcome. The report argues this allows for greater deep soil planting, improved solar access and a better public domain outcome, while still delivering additional housing close to rapid public transport.

The site sits around 500 metres from Hills Showground Metro Station, within a precinct earmarked for significant residential intensification following the opening of the Sydney Metro Northwest line. Planning documents accompanying the application note that Greater Sydney's population has grown by more than one million people since planning for the precinct first began, reinforcing the need to accelerate housing delivery around existing transport infrastructure.

Scion is expanding its development pipeline which also includes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/chatham-west-ryde-2-6-chatham-road-west-ryde-nsw-2114">Chatham in West Ryde</a>, 62 apartments which are approaching completion. They also have a State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/96-anzac-avenue-west-ryde-nsw-2114">145 apartments on Anzac Avenue</a>, also in West Ryde.

First look: Scion plots Castle Hill apartment development near Hills Showground Metro Station

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a>&nbsp;has unveiled its scaled-back plans for a pair of towers rising up to 49 storeys directly opposite Bella Vista Metro Station.

The builder-developer will deliver 674 apartments and a new mixed-use hub at the gateway to the station precinct.

The State Significant Development Application has been lodged under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway for the 6,979 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/9-11-mawson-avenue-bella-vista-nsw-2153">9-11 Mawson Avenue</a>, with the apartments sitting above a mixed-use podium. Initial plans were for closer to 900 apartments across two 40-storey towers.

Located around 30 metres from the Bella Vista Metro Station entrance, the development is intended to act as a catalyst for the long-planned Bella Vista Station Precinct, transforming a vacant site into a transit-oriented residential and commercial destination.

Planning documents describe the project as delivering "a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21c08216-589e-490d-ad08-2d88b6fa62d9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20podium.png?VersionId=3TnwjjQCNwTsmyQRaWnFrLTSAF0CJeka" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/turner-studio">Turner</a>, with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, the project comprises 674 apartments, including 102 affordable housing dwellings representing 15 per cent of the residential floor space. The housing mix spans studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside a collection of townhouse-style residences integrated into the podium levels. The development also includes specialist disability accommodation and an elevated provision of adaptable and liveable housing.

The mixed-use podium has been designed to create an active urban centre around the Metro station, incorporating a 1,423 sqm supermarket, a 3,029 sqm gym, specialty retail spaces, a 100-place childcare centre and a publicly accessible "city room" community space. A secondary laneway, active frontages and landscaped public areas are intended to improve pedestrian connectivity through the site and strengthen links between the station precinct and surrounding neighbourhood.

In the project's design report, Turner said the proposal responds to Bella Vista's emerging role as a higher-density centre within Sydney's north-west growth corridor.

"The project transforms a strategically located site into a high-density mixed use destination that combines housing, retail and community-serving uses in a highly accessible setting," the report states.

"Active frontages, a publicly accessible city room, a secondary laneway and a mix of uses including a local supermarket, child care centre and gym create a more complete and socially useful urban environment for residents, workers and the wider community."

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group plans 674-apartment Bella Vista towers opposite Metro station" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0fde6220-82de-4f6a-9b63-d0fd8157acc9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bella%20vista%20da.png?VersionId=7hEmuSutH8plTd_RqqdmPu055F6qe554" />

Urban Property Group has been one of the busiest developers across Greater Sydney this year.

The developer is progressing around 1,000 apartments across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-urban-property-group-plans-next-major-wollongong-tower">two projects in Wollongong</a>, with several thousand more homes in the pipeline across Newcastle, Castle Hill, Little Bay and Penrith.

Jonathan Chancellor

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