First look: Central Element unveils second Neutral Bay apartment project
Fresh off completing Pienza Neutral Bay, developer Central Element is preparing its next move in the coveted Lower North Shore suburb.
Central Element (CE) has lodged plans for an eight-storey apartment building at 54–64 Barry Street, a 1,659 sqm site just south of Military Road and the Neutral Bay town centre.
The $52 million development will involve the demolition of four detached homes across four lots to deliver 45 apartments, including eight affordable housing units to be managed by Bridge Housing. The mix will comprise six one-bedroom apartments, 24 two-beds, and 15 three-beds. The apartments will sit above three basement levels with 62 car parking spaces and 50 bicycle spaces.
MHN Design Union (MHNDU) has returned as architect following its work on Pienza, again shaping a mid-rise form with a clear street presence. The design features a lower four-storey podium element that responds to surrounding context, with upper levels recessed to reduce perceived bulk. Communal open space is proposed both at ground level and on the rooftop, the latter including an outdoor kitchen and swimming pool.
“The building has been designed with a lower four-storey element and with building materials commensurate with the character of the area,” Beam Planning noted in its submission to the North Sydney Council.
Bridge Housing will manage the affordable units for a period of 15 years, as required under the Housing SEPP’s incentive provisions.
MHNDU’s design report further highlights the site's strategic location just 250 metres from key bus stops and 1.3 kilometres from North Sydney CBD, positioning it for transit-accessible housing supply. In their planning justification, the design team emphasised the site’s compatibility with emerging local character and scale.
Central Element has a solid apartment pipeline spread all over Sydney. They recently completed Pienza, 37 apartments just 500 metres away from the new project, and are currently building Ethos Chatswood, Ballamac House in Coogee, and Bianca on the harbour in Drummoyne.
They have plans for future projects in Mosman, Bondi Beach, Greenwich, Lavender Bay, along with a tower on the edge of Hyde Park.
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at Apartments.com.au, where he leads the editorial team and oversees the country’s most comprehensive news coverage dedicated to the off the plan property market. With more than a decade of experience in residential real estate journalism, Joel brings deep insight into Australia’s evolving development landscape.
He holds a degree in Business Management with a major in Journalism from Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and has developed a particular expertise in off the plan apartment space. Joel’s editorial lens spans the full lifecycle of a project, from site acquisition and planning approvals through to new launches, construction completions, and final sell-out, delivering trusted, buyer-focused content that supports informed decision-making across the property journey
