VIMG gets green light for 193-apartment Nelson Place in Chatswood

More than three years after first filing plans, Melbourne-based developer VIMG has secured approval for its major Nelson Place apartment development in Chatswood.

The Sydney North Planning Panel has approved VIMG's plans for 193 apartments at 9-11 Nelson Street, around 500 metres from the Chatswood transport interchange and the suburb's major retail precinct.

The approval marks a significant milestone for a project Apartments.com.au first revealed in September 2023, when VIMG lodged plans following an extensive design process with Willoughby City Council.

VIMG had originally forecast around 300 apartments for the site before settling on a considerably lower-density scheme focused on larger residences.

DKO won the design competition for the project in April 2023, although the competition jury requested further work around the architecture firm's original "tree as a tower" concept before the plans progressed.

The final scheme will rise to 27 storeys, with two residential tower forms emerging from a shared podium and central public plaza incorporating retail and commercial tenancies.

DKO's architecture draws heavily on the site's landscape and surrounds.

The tower forms were conceived as an extension of a tree trunk, with rounded structural columns softening the building's vertical expression, while the podium and commercial areas were designed to reference the sandstone geology synonymous with Sydney's Lower North Shore.

A major point of difference when VIMG first lodged the plans was the size of the apartments.

Planning documents indicated the two and three-bedroom apartments would generally sit around 15 to 20 per cent above the minimum sizes required under the Apartment Design Guide, positioning Nelson Place toward the owner-occupier and family market rather than maximising apartment numbers across the site.

Residents will have access to a landscaped podium rooftop, including a north-facing pool deck and covered outdoor yoga area, while the ground plane will introduce a new publicly accessible plaza and commercial uses.

The approved development will also provide 250 car spaces.

VIMG's site sits just south of the Chatswood CBD, within walking distance of Chatswood Station, Westfield Chatswood, Chatswood Chase and the extensive retail and dining amenity that has helped make the suburb one of the most established apartment markets on the Lower North Shore.

The approval comes as development activity across Chatswood continues to accelerate, with the suburb now carrying one of the most significant new apartment pipelines on Sydney's North Shore.

Bridgestone Projects recently broke ground on its $600 million Maison le Ciel development on Anderson Street before officially launching the project to market.

Westbourne Constructions has been appointed to deliver the two 33-storey towers, which will comprise just 123 residences, all three-bedroom apartments targeting the premium owner-occupier market. Completion is targeted for early 2031.

Aqualand Prestige is also pushing ahead with its long-held 51-55 Archer Street site. It lodged a State Significant Development Application in July for a 45-level PTW-designed tower with 114 apartments.

Commercial property group FiveX has even bigger plans.

The Berger family-backed group is seeking approval for a 61-storey tower at 815 Pacific Highway, replacing the existing Panorama Building with 490 apartments, including 76 affordable homes to be managed by Evolve Housing.

Others are already further through the cycle.

Develotek secured approval earlier this year for its 34-storey, 101-apartment tower at 691-699 Pacific Highway.

Hyecorp is one of few in market, having recently launched Celine in Chatswood, while Changfa Group and Huirong Group are in the midst of delivering The Anderson on Anderson Street. The NSW Government and Landcom are working through plans for up to 1,500 homes on the former Sydney Metro construction site.