Following the recent completion of its luxury North Sydney apartment development AURA by Aqualand, leading Australian property group&nbsp;Aqualand&nbsp;is preparing its next landmark project in the area.

It's planning its first hotel and build-to-rent (BTR) project, with the company lodging a Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) request for a mixed-use tower to be built on the site of its existing commercial building at 132 Arthur Street, <a href="/developments/north-sydney-nsw">North Sydney</a>.

The 40-level tower includes a 240-key hotel spread across 12 level below around 225 BTR apartments across 25 levels. It will also feature ground-floor food and beverage offerings, a hotel lobby and conference space.

The project will be centrally positioned in the rejuvenated North Sydney CBD, just 450 metres from North Sydney Station and 250 metres from the Victoria Cross Metro Station, which is due to open in August 2024.

The hotel will capitalise on North Sydney’s lack of mid-range highly curated hotel accommodation by offering an edgy and urban vibe, rather than the standard corporate-style hotel offering.

The project also bolsters the company’s commitment to BTR as an effective model to help alleviate the restricted rental market, which remains an important segment of the local housing sector. Aqualand sees the project as capitalising on the growing demand for high-quality and professionally managed rentable residences ideally located within bustling commercial precincts. &nbsp;

Jin Lin, Aqualand’s Group Managing Director, said <a href="/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a>&nbsp;is excited to progress its third residential project in the North Sydney Council.

"This project will also see our first foray into the hotel space, which demonstrates our unique ability to pivot to whatever best suits the location.&nbsp;

“We look forward to offering something you’d expect to see in Surry Hills, more so than North Sydney, and have taken inspiration from hotels you’d expect to find in New York’s East Village, Shoreditch in London, or even Berlin.&nbsp;

“We’re envisioning a contemporary ambience, combined with a slick and highly personable front-of-house and professional behind-the-scenes operation, and know this will greatly assist in North Sydney’s ongoing rejuvenation. It will increase North Sydney’s appeal in the tourism sector and help generate a thriving 18-hour economy.

“We’re deeply committed to the North Sydney area as evidenced by our award-winning BLUE at Lavender Bay, which was completed in 2021, the recent completion of our <a href="/buildings/aura-by-aqualand-north-sydney-168-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">AURA by Aqualand</a> precinct at 168 Walker Street, and now this second mixed-use tower."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=286067]

Aqualand's lifestyle and hospitality arm, Etymon Projects,&nbsp;has delivered four new venues in AURA’s podium level, which are set to open with the rest of the building this month.

"These world-class hospitality venues will be added to Etymon’s existing portfolio in the area, which already includes Loulou Bistro in Milsons Point and Poetica at 1 Denison Street, to further strengthen North Sydney’s appeal as a thriving precinct," Lin says, adding however that their ultimate commitment remains with their future residents.

"We look forward to providing them with an extremely high-quality rental product, with a large range of amenities and services, specifically designed to elevate their lifestyle, while encouraging a sense of community and inclusiveness."

Aqualand is soon to welcome its first residents to AURA by Aqualand, after <a href="/news/nsw/aqualand-officially-opens-landmark-north-sydney-apartment-development-aura-by-aqualand">officially opening the Walker Street building last month</a>.

Designed by Woods Bagot, AURA by Aqualand comprises 386 luxury apartments above the aforementioned two-level curated food and beverage podium.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=30959]

Aqualand plans foray into hotel sector with unique mixed-use hotel and build-to-rent tower in North Sydney

Joel Robinson

Aqualand plans mixed-use hotel and build-to-rent tower in North Sydney after AURA by Aqualand completion

Leading Australian property group Aqualand is in the early stages of planning its first build to rent project, with the company adding the burgeoning housing model to its portfolio to assist in easing Sydney’s high-quality rental shortage.

The project, which is planned to be built on the site of Aqualand’s existing commercial building at 146 Arthur Street in <a href="/developments/north-sydney-nsw">North Sydney</a>, has recently had a Secretary’s Environmental&nbsp;Assessment Requirements (SEARs) application issued.

The proposed 40-storey project will see around 300 apartments available for rent above a lively ground floor retail and commercial precinct in the heart of the rejuvenated North Sydney CBD, just 400 metres from North Sydney Station and 250 metres from the future Victoria Cross Metro Station.

Aqualand sees the move of adding build to rent to its growing range of property offerings as a natural pivot to help alleviate the restricted rental market, which is an increasingly important segment of the local housing sector, by helping to address the rising demand for rentable, high quality and professionally managed residences.

“We look forward to being committed to our future residents by providing them with a high-quality rental product with a large range of amenities and services designed to elevate their lifestyle experiences and create a strong sense of community,"&nbsp;Jin Lin, Aqualand’s Group Managing Director, said.

The redevelopment will include a&nbsp;sky deck, lounge area/bar, pool, gym, workspaces and communal dining room.

“Given the model’s popularity overseas, we’re keen to see it grow here, where there’s a growing need for local residents to secure long-term tenancies that offer a large range of amenities,” Lin added.

“Whilst the preference for rented accommodation has traditionally been strong with younger generations, the demand for high quality rental product now spans across multiple generations.

“We are already deeply committed to the North Sydney council area, as evidenced by our AURA by Aqualand residential project at 168 Walker Street, which is set to open in mid-2024, and our award-winning BLUE at Lavender Bay which was completed in 2021.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=202986]

"We also have other commercial assets in North Sydney, including 15 Blue Street and 132 Arthur Street, which are potential future redevelopment sites. Etymon Projects, the lifestyle and hospitality brand in the Aqualand Group, is bringing world-class hospitality venues to the North Sydney market with Loulou Bistro in Milsons Point, Poetica opening soon at 1 Denison Street and four new venues planned at AURA to open next year.

“These key projects are set to make a significant contribution to the vibrancy of the 18-hour economy in this important CBD precinct, which is in the midst of a major rejuvenation.”

Aqualand make first play in build to rent sector in North Sydney

Brisbane developer Belmonde Property Group, in a joint venture with Sun Luxe Group, have filed plans for their over 1000 build to rent units in the heart of the 2032 Olympic precinct.

The project, dubbed Gabba Heart Precinct at 79 Logan Road, will see four towers built, three of which will home 1,387 build-to-rent units. The fourth tower will be part hotel, part serviced apartments.

The towers will rise above three podiums which will comprise&nbsp;significant retail and food and beverage tenancies.&nbsp;Each of the towers will have amenity on both the podium level and the rooftop. Two will have rooftop swimming pools.

Architecture firm Cottee Parker are behind the designs of the precinct, with landscaping by Urbis. Cottee Parker say the project will "reactivate the heart of Woolloongabba, embrace Brisbane’s subtropical climate, and showcase the best of Queensland’s unique climate and lifestyle with iconic architecture."

<img alt="Woolloongabba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74795326-8fe7-4a24-ae37-4346374cb8d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-08-22%20at%204.20.00%20pm.png?VersionId=uHcAQlOLQL0lq2jte_bNcoaB.h3NdEwf" />

Cottee Parker Director Martin Timms says the Gabba Heart Precinct will do for Woolloongabba what the James Street Precinct did for Fortitude Valley.

“This project will reactivate the heart of Woolloongabba, embracing Brisbane’s subtropical climate and showcase the best of Queensland’s unique climate and lifestyle with iconic architecture,” Timms says.

“The projects vision also includes upgrading Logan Road to a high street that will maximise the existing road width and create a vibrant space for a new retail precinct.

“This is the first of what I’m sure will be many developments to meet the needs of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.”

The application is another which is looking to push past the height limits of the area, which is currently set at 20 levels.

Saunders Havill Group suggested in their Town Planning Report that since the adoption of the Woolloongabba centre neighbourhood, the long-term vision for the locality has changed dramatically with investment into significant transport infrastructure and the redevelopment of the Gabba stadium.

"The current circumstances mean that the provisions of the Woolloongabba centre neighbourhood plan are out of date and have been overtaken by events," their submission noted.

"The provision of key infrastructure outcomes and the intent for the locality to be the centre of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games have changed the community’s expectations about the form and scale of development that will occur within the locality. These expectations are no longer linked to the provisions of the neighbourhood plan."

<img alt="Gabba" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d2eef504-5ae4-4212-83d9-69f7bc7554c7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-08-18%20at%209.01.33%20am.png?VersionId=Lz5LBlJS8DTGT6qlB48q00CIZLGP4K08" />

They said this proposal seeks to align with the new expectations and builds on the vision of the locality for high quality development outcomes that leverage the government investment in the precinct.

They cited Trenert's Station Square proposal, which will have five new towers rising up to 40 levels.&nbsp;

There's also Trilogy, the 525 apartment development Arden Group on the corner of Vulture and Main Streets. They will top 30 levels, as will Aria's Canopy House development and Sarazin's Silk Three towers.

"The development of the site provides the opportunity to not only deliver a high quality, subtropical development outcome that will enliven the site, but also the opportunity to deliver significant improvements to the entirety of the heart of Woolloongabba", Saunders Havill Group added.

79 Logan Road, on a large 9,361 sqm site, is only 250m from Woolloongabba station which connects directly to Brisbane CBD Casino Precinct.

Architecture firm Cottee Parker are behind the designs of the precinct, which they say will "reactivate the heart of Woolloongabba."



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