First look: Legacy Property proposes shoptop housing on North Sydney fringe
Legacy Property is takings its proposed North Sydney development to the NSW Government.
They've submitted a State Significant Development proposal for a mixed-use building with 35 apartments, 10 of which will be affordable, above a two-storey commercial podium.
The new development comprise 35 apartments, 10 of which are affordable, above a two-storey commercial podium. The plan includes the retention and adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed shopfront at 265 Pacific Highway, integrating it into the ground-level frontage.
According to the Scoping Report prepared by Planning Lab, the design “responds to the broader priority and urgent demand for affordable housing” while incorporating a “tower above consisting of 35 residential apartments and communal roof garden”.
Positioned within 300 metres of Victoria Cross Metro Station, the site qualifies for Housing SEPP incentives, including a 30 per cent bonus to height and floor space ratio, which the proposal seeks to utilise.
Designed by Nettletontribe, the building would rise 10 to 13 storeys, with a stepped massing strategy to transition from the Pacific Highway frontage down to the finer-grain character of Church Lane. The two-level podium includes new commercial tenancies, communal open space, and landscaping.
Winter gardens have been integrated into apartments along the highway elevation to mitigate noise impacts, and Church Lane is set to be widened to six metres to improve access and separation from lower-scale dwellings to the east.
As the Scoping Report notes, “the design of the proposal is still consistent with the objective of [ADG] controls to maintain the privacy of neighbouring properties,” with separations and setbacks applied particularly along Church Lane.
The proposed envelope is largely consistent with the uplift previously approved through Planning Proposal PP-2021-2926, which designated the site as part of a Southern Transition Area in the North Sydney Civic Precinct Planning Study. That designation supports mid-rise, mixed-use development to bridge the scale between the North Sydney CBD and nearby heritage areas.
The site spans 1,099 sqm and includes four properties. While 253-263 Pacific Highway will be demolished, the heritage item at 265 will be retained and adapted for commercial or community use.
The development includes four levels of basement car parking accessed from Church Lane, with a total of 55 car spaces planned, exceeding minimum Housing SEPP requirements.
Legacy Property, led by CEO Matthew Hyder, has two projects in Macquarie Park, totalling nearly 400 apartments.
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
