One of North Sydney's best-known commercial buildings could become hundreds of new homes, with insurance giant Zurich Australia lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to transform 5 Blue Street into a mixed-use residential development above North Sydney Station.

Rather than demolishing the existing building and starting again, Zurich is proposing an adaptive reuse project that would convert the landmark office building into a 15-level residential development delivering 62 apartments, 86 affordable co-living dwellings, activated retail and significant upgrades to the Blue Street Plaza.

The proposal reflects a growing trend of commercial property owners repositioning ageing office assets into residential housing as Sydney grapples with housing supply shortages and changing workplace demand.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bba7d12-06dc-4375-aad7-238c94b21ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.42.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=NJl5oLAEBDGuPmY3RnyliKODjMc8lvRh" />

Located directly above North Sydney Metro and train station, the 3,051 sqm site occupies one of the most strategically positioned parcels of land on Sydney's Lower North Shore.

Designed by fjcstudio, the proposal seeks to retain and adapt much of the existing structure while creating a contemporary residential address that better connects with the public domain surrounding North Sydney Station.

The application proposes two basement levels, ground floor retail, affordable co-living accommodation across the podium levels, and apartments above, while preserving and enhancing the publicly accessible Blue Street Plaza.

Rather than pursuing maximum apartment numbers, Zurich has opted for a housing mix heavily weighted towards larger owner-occupier residences.

The proposal includes 62 build-to-sell apartments comprising 12 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 29 three-bedroom apartments and two premium penthouses. It also incorporates 86 affordable co-living dwellings, which would be managed in perpetuity by a Community Housing Provider.

That balance between traditional apartments and affordable housing reflects the NSW Government's push to increase housing diversity around major transport infrastructure.

The proposal has been lodged concurrently with a rezoning application, with Zurich arguing the site is ideally positioned to support additional housing given its immediate proximity to public transport, employment and services.

"The proposal aims to respond to the housing challenges facing Sydney through the delivery of diverse housing types in a highly accessible location," the design report by fjcstudio states. It also seeks to improve pedestrian amenity through upgrades to Blue Street Plaza while creating a high-performing residential building that responds to the surrounding context.

<img alt="Zurich" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36082e15-c636-4481-bb68-5a5f6443fe39" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2010.41.36%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=5P6VD.fvmqjQfIG3TWWMRXxQWiQBjeFB" />

Rather than replacing the commercial building, fjcstudio has developed a design that works with the existing structural framework above the rail corridor, an approach that significantly reduces demolition while allowing the site to be repositioned as a mixed-use residential precinct.

The existing structural constraints have informed much of the building's design, including its relationship with Blue Street and surrounding public spaces.

The building has been designed as a slender tower rising above a clearly defined podium, with vertically expressed façades intended to reduce the perceived bulk while reinforcing North Sydney's emerging skyline.

According to fjcstudio, the architectural language responds directly to the surrounding commercial towers while maintaining a finer grain expression more closely aligned with the neighbouring Lavender Bay streetscape.

The tower incorporates articulated façade elements, landscaped podium edges and recessed upper levels to soften its appearance and improve pedestrian amenity below.

A significant component of the proposal is the revitalisation of Blue Street Plaza.

The existing public space has long served as one of the primary pedestrian connections between North Sydney Station, Greenwood Plaza and Blue Street, yet its role is expected to become even more important following the opening of Sydney Metro.

Zurich's proposal seeks to strengthen that role by improving landscaping, introducing new retail frontages, enhancing pedestrian permeability and creating more active edges throughout the day and evening.

Ground floor retail would wrap the plaza, while separate residential and co-living entries have been designed to improve wayfinding without reducing street activation.

Landscape design has been integrated throughout the podium and public realm, softening what is currently one of the most heavily urbanised parts of North Sydney.

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fjcstudio has carefully oriented apartments towards Sydney Harbour and the CBD while using privacy blades and articulated façades to minimise overlooking between neighbouring buildings.

Large framed openings along the western elevation maximise harbour outlooks, while the eastern apartments have been angled towards the south-east to improve privacy from neighbouring development.

The project forms part of the continuing transformation of North Sydney from a predominantly commercial CBD into a genuine mixed-use city centre.

Since the completion of Victoria Cross Metro Station, developers have increasingly shifted their attention towards residential projects capable of leveraging the area's unparalleled transport connectivity.

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FiveX recently lodged plans for a 61-storey, 490-apartment tower that would become one of the tallest residential buildings in North Sydney if approved.

Aqualand continues to expand its Lower North Shore presence following the completion of AURA on Walker Street and its recent St Leonards and Roseville proposals.

Developers are also progressing projects throughout Walker Street, Miller Street and the Victoria Cross precinct as demand for well-located owner-occupier apartments continues to strengthen.

Joel Robinson

First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station

Busy developer Aqualand Prestige has formally taken the next step in its expansion across Sydney's Lower North Shore, lodging a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for its long-held Archer Street site in Chatswood.

The application covers <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/51-55-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">51-55 Archer Street</a>, a 1,767 sqm amalgamated site on the eastern edge of the Chatswood CBD, where the developer is seeking approval for a 45-level mixed-use tower delivering 114 apartments, including a significant affordable housing component, alongside retail, commercial space and six basement levels of parking.

The SSDA marks the latest milestone for a project Aqualand has been quietly progressing over the past two years. The developer first secured the site for its Aqualand Prestige platform before undertaking an alternative design excellence process with PTW Architects, ultimately avoiding a formal design competition through the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The proposal has evolved considerably from Aqualand's original concept. The revised scheme has been designed around larger owner-occupier product, with an unusually high proportion of three and four-bedroom apartments, targeting the more affluent buyer profile, and downsizer, emerging across the North Shore.

<img alt="Archer St" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0171204c-5811-41b5-9b09-2335d1b7c3d0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%208.52.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=6YTuxfq.puZo7k2wbfgemcO5K3QfXYGQ" />

The 114-apartment mix comprises six studios, 27 one-bedroom apartments, 18 two-bedroom apartments, 50 three-bedroom residences and 13 four-bedroom homes. A quarter of the building will be dedicated to affordable housing, well above the mandated 15 per cent&nbsp;

PTW has structured the building vertically, with affordable housing across levels one to six, premium apartments through levels seven to 31, duplex skyhomes on klevels 32 to 43, a penthouse on level 44, and a rooftop plant level above. Six basement levels will provide resident parking and servicing.

The tower is proposed to reach approximately 154 metres, placing it among a growing collection of residential high-rises transforming Chatswood's skyline.

Rather than competing purely on height, PTW says the design has been driven by creating a slimmer tower capable of delivering significantly larger apartments.

"The primary objective of this project was to create a distinctive building that stands out from the recently approved or built structures in the Chatswood area," the design report states, noting the structural efficiency allows greater investment into apartment quality and resident amenity.

Residents would have access to more than 450 sqm of communal open space including landscaped gardens, swimming pool, rooftop entertaining areas, fitness spaces, community gardens, children's play areas and barbecue facilities.

A major focus of the design has been the public domain.

The ground plane has been opened up through landscaped terraces inspired by Willoughby's sandstone ridges, with native planting, public seating, artwork, retail activation and a series of gathering spaces intended to soften what has traditionally been a hard commercial streetscape.

The landscape strategy references Blue Gum forests once common throughout the area, while incorporating Indigenous storytelling, public art and lighting installations to strengthen the connection to Country.

Chatswood has been one of Sydney's busiest apartment markets over the past 12 months, with a steady pipeline of both new project launches and fresh development applications.

Hyecorp recently launched Celine, a 122-apartment development just along Archer Street, while Changfa and Huirong Group are progressing The Anderson, an 84-apartment project on Anderson Street.

Develotek recently secured approval for a 101-apartment tower on Pacific Highway, while Tian An LFD received the green light for Hammond Greens, its apartment development on the edge of the Chatswood Bowling Club.

Commercial property developer FiveX is also making its move into the residential market. Last month it lodged plans for a 61-storey tower with 490 apartments, which, if approved, would become one of the tallest residential buildings in Chatswood.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-fivex-targets-chatswood-skyline-with-61-storey-tower-after-north-sydney-plans">First look: FiveX targets Chatswood skyline with 61-storey tower after North Sydney plans</a>

Aqualand is also expanding its development pipeline following the launch of its luxury residential brand, Aqualand Prestige. The developer has delivered a string of high-end apartment projects across Sydney's affluent suburbs over the past decade, most recently AURA by Aqualand on Walker Street in North Sydney.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292863]

It has since quietly assembled its next wave of projects.

Earlier this year Aqualand launched Boronia in Roseville, a boutique 111-apartment development on Larkin Street. The project is one of the first significant apartment developments to launch in the suburb ahead of what is expected to become one of Sydney's most active new housing precincts under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, which allow greater density around train stations.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152095 project_image_fid=373685]

The developer has also lodged plans for a two-tower, 413-apartment development on Herbert Street in nearby St Leonards, further strengthening its presence across the Lower North Shore.

Beyond that, Aqualand remains behind the final stage of Barangaroo, where plans will deliver a five-hectare mixed-use precinct comprising new homes, retail, hospitality and community facilities, alongside a new Metro entrance and more than two hectares of public open space, completing the Barangaroo precinct.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/central-barangaroo-development-takes-big-step-with-concept-proposal-approval">Central Barangaroo development takes big step with concept proposal approval</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-aqualand-joins-st-leonards-apartment-party">First look: Aqualand joins St Leonards apartment party</a> 
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First look: Aqualand pushes ahead with Chatswood apartment tower as SSDA lodged for Archer Street

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly popular construction material in apartment developments, but Adelaide developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/otello">Otello</a> is taking the approach a step further.

At its new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flowe-bowden-18-gibson-street-bowden-sa-5007">Flowe Bowden</a> development, the exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure isn't just about reducing the building's environmental footprint. It also forms the foundation of a broader wellness strategy, influencing everything from indoor air quality and natural materials to the way residents move through and experience the building.

The 115-apartment mixed-use development, designed by Melbourne-based architecture practice Fieldwork, will occupy a prominent island site opposite Bowden Village Reserve, combining one, two and three-bedroom apartments with retail and a dedicated wellness destination.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375528]

Wellness isn't confined to a gym or shared resident facility at Flowe. Instead, Fieldwork embedded the concept into the building itself.

The development has been split into two residential wings connected by a naturally ventilated central breezeway, replacing traditional enclosed corridors with open-air walkways that improve natural light, encourage cross ventilation and create more opportunities for neighbourly interaction.

"Rather than treating wellness as something that only happens on the ground floor, our response integrates it throughout the building, which led us to ask what it really means to design a healthy building," Fieldwork Director Quino Holland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375531]

The building's architecture also reflects Bowden's industrial heritage. The lower podium references the area's historic brick and sandstone buildings, while the upper levels transition to exposed CLT, allowing the timber structure to become a defining feature throughout the apartments and shared spaces.

The use of mass timber sits alongside a range of sustainability initiatives, including a fully electric, gas-free design, rooftop solar and a targeted 5 Star Green Star rating.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375524]

Inside the residences, the focus remains on natural, durable materials. Blackbutt engineered timber flooring, exposed CLT ceilings, porcelain surfaces and warm timber joinery create a calming interior palette, while low-VOC finishes and responsibly sourced materials have been selected to improve indoor air quality.

Kitchens have been designed as the centrepiece of each apartment, featuring porcelain island benchtops, timber-look cabinetry and brushed steel tapware, with layouts that maximise natural light and ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152022 project_image_fid=375530]

The more traditional interpretation of wellness comes in the form of Level Eleven, a two-storey wellness club spanning the ground floor, mezzanine and first floor.

The facility will include a gym, yoga and reformer Pilates studios, Finnish and infrared saunas, magnesium hot and cold plunge pools, and dedicated recovery spaces. Unlike many residential wellness facilities, Level Eleven will also operate commercially, allowing the broader Bowden community to access the venue while giving residents exclusive membership benefits.

The ground floor has also been designed around everyday living. A café overlooking Bowden Village Reserve will activate the street frontage, while a bike workshop with tool storage, co-working space and dog wash has been incorporated to support daily routines and encourage interaction between residents.

"Flowe brings together my two biggest passions, creating places and creating healthier lives," Otello founder Daniel Harris said.

"We wanted to create something Adelaide hasn't seen before, a genuinely healthy building, where the way you live is lifted without even trying."

Flowe is positioned directly opposite Bowden Village Reserve and within walking distance of Bowden Railway Station and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, placing future residents just minutes from the Adelaide CBD while remaining connected to one of the city's most established urban renewal precincts.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152022]

Otello launches wellness-focused Flowe Bowden with Adelaide-first mass timber apartment design

Not all apartment amenities are immediately visible.

Swimming pools, gyms, rooftop terraces and residents' lounges have long featured on buyers' wishlists, but as the way Australians live has changed, so too have the features that make apartment living more convenient.

Increasingly, buyers are placing value on the practical aspects of day-to-day life. Fast internet, EV charging, secure bike storage, flexible workspaces and parcel management are becoming just as relevant as lifestyle amenities, reflecting changing habits and expectations.

Online shopping has been one of the biggest drivers of that shift.

Australians spent a record $82.6 billion shopping online in 2025, with almost one in every four retail dollars now spent digitally, making parcel deliveries a routine part of everyday life rather than an occasional convenience.

For apartment residents, however, receiving those deliveries isn't always straightforward.

Without someone home to accept a parcel, deliveries can be redirected to a nearby Post Office, left in building foyers or common areas, or require building management to temporarily store packages. As apartment living continues to grow across Australia's cities, parcel management has become an increasingly important consideration for both residents and developers.

Australia Post's Parcel Locker network is one response to that shift.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPZ9j5FRdsQ?si=Qztc1dNP3ZvEIUhb" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Rather than relying on home delivery, eligible parcels can be directed to a nominated Parcel Locker, where they're securely stored until collected. Once a parcel arrives, residents receive a notification through the AusPost app or SMS and can retrieve it using a one-time code or QR code at a time that suits them.

The network has expanded to more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with Parcel Lockers positioned at Post Offices, shopping centres, supermarkets, transport hubs and, increasingly, within or alongside residential developments.

That growing presence reflects a broader change in how apartment buildings are being planned.

Developers are increasingly considering the operational side of apartment living alongside traditional lifestyle amenities. Just as secure mailrooms, bicycle storage and EV charging have become more common inclusions, parcel management is emerging as another feature that supports everyday convenience.

It also helps preserve the arrival experience within a building. Carefully designed lobbies and communal spaces can quickly become cluttered when deliveries accumulate, while secure parcel solutions reduce the likelihood of missed deliveries or parcels being left unattended.

For buyers comparing apartments, these everyday details are becoming part of the decision-making process.

Location, floorplans and finishes remain fundamental, but the features that simplify daily life are carrying greater weight than they once did. As online shopping continues to shape consumer behaviour, secure parcel delivery is increasingly becoming another amenity worth looking for.

Parcel delivery is joining the apartment amenity checklist

Inca Property Group has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for Dawn, a 53-apartment oceanfront development overlooking Mona Vale Beach.

The proposal, at 35-39 Darley Street East, would replace an existing 18-apartment strata building with a new owner-occupier-focused development comprising 53 two and three-bedroom apartments, including nine affordable built-to-rent residences delivered under the State's infill affordable housing scheme.

Positioned on a 2,679 sqm elevated site around 280 metres from Mona Vale Beach, the development has been designed to maximise panoramic ocean views while responding to the site's sloping topography.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/inca-property-group">Inca Property Group</a> Managing Director Josh Thompson said the State Significant pathway provided greater certainty for projects of this scale.

"This State Significant pathway gives the team real certainty to progress <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/dawn-35-39-darley-street-east-mona-vale-nsw-2103">Dawn</a> through to completion," Thompson said.

"It allows us to acquire a one-off site, design it carefully and deliver the right offering for the suburb, assessed by the NSW Government's planning department."

The project is one of the first developments in the area to be assessed under the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy, with the site sitting on the edge of the policy's designated inner area.

The proposal includes three basement levels providing 124 car spaces, alongside a range of resident amenities including a swimming pool, gym, sauna, wellness facilities and private plunge pools for selected ground-floor and penthouse apartments.

<img alt="Dawn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fc1a1daf-0ce4-4f12-9076-b1fa553c7a91" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-21%20at%208.42.11%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4GZ9h.gpNkTljbxyAET8Jfhv51XUamDm" />

Thompson said Dawn had been designed specifically for owner-occupiers and downsizers, a buyer profile that has driven demand across Inca's recent Upper North Shore developments.

"The majority of buyers in our recent North Shore projects have been downsizers, and we are learning exactly what this market is looking for. Beyond the location itself, we have included resort-style amenities to deliver a genuine lifestyle offering," Thompson said.

Located within walking distance of Mona Vale Beach, the town centre, Mona Vale Golf Club and the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Dawn represents Inca's first Northern Beaches project following the sell-out of Tara on Park in Waitara and Ellis Residences, currently under construction in St Ives.

Construction will be undertaken by Inca's in-house construction arm, GOP Constructions.

Dawn is the latest major apartment proposal for Mona Vale, with the suburb emerging as one of the key beneficiaries of the NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing policy.

New developer One Living, led by industry veteran Joseph Scuderi, recently secured a site on Mona Vale Road, on the border of Mona Vale and Pymble, where it is planning around 140 apartments.

IPM is also planning its third project in Mona Vale, significantly increasing the scale of its previous developments with an 82-apartment proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/159-167-darley-street-west-mona-vale-nsw-2103">159-167 Darley Street West</a>, opposite Bayview Golf Course and less than 800 metres from Mona Vale town centre.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/one-living-enters-sydneys-new-apartment-market-with-northern-beaches-site-acquisition">One Living enters Sydney's new apartment market with Northern Beaches site acquisition</a>

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-ipm-plans-third-mona-vale-project">First look: IPM plans third Mona Vale project</a>

First look: Inca eyes Mona Vale with State Significant DA for Dawn apartments

East End

Having initially focussed on Sydney’s fast growing south-west corridor, Iris Capital has more recently taken a leap up the coast, dipping into the prospers of the Newcastle region to deliver the masterplan set to transform the suburb.

Encompassing a 1.66-hectare site, from Perkins Street to Newcomen Street, the East End precinct has been delivered across four stages, with the entire project slated for completion by 2027.

<img alt="Render of the East End development" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="40b73dc8-a390-483f-a087-fe8da0a92f4e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/SJB_Newcastle%20East%20End%20S3-4_01_LR.jpeg?VersionId=bOkrUVJv2O_hufELwx1jA.2.jkdXP5A8" />

SJB Director, Adam Haddow said that since 2013, the group had been investigating the unique community of Newcastle, having worked on the original masterplan for East End as architect and collaborator for the stage one development.&nbsp;

“We are over the moon to have the opportunity to again collaborate with our peers – this time Sydney based Durbach Block Jaggers and Novocastrian's Curious Practice, to deliver the final stage of this once-in-a-lifetime project,” said Haddow.

In a bid to realise the City of Newcastle’s Harbour to Cathedral Park ambition, the site has been divided based on experience, expertise and scale.&nbsp;

<img alt="Render of the East End development" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cd286c15-d89e-4872-ad31-d4e8bc95305d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/SJB_Newcastle%20East%20End%20S3-4_02_LR.jpeg?VersionId=Q4OkzsIts62U6XR9_.J8VO5Cs.h5Zrrq" />

“Our vision for the East End is rooted in a fine grain response that reimagines the retail offering and pedestrian activity of Hunter Street. The new public ‘market square’ has great potential to connect into Council land creating the link withNewcastle Christ Church Cathedral and the harbour – to become the centre of theEast End,” Haddow said.&nbsp;

“We truly hope that this new connection will enable Indigenous planting to thrive along the north-facing slope of East End, once again cradling the silhouette of the cathedral in a green skirt when seen from the harbour."

Iris Capital’s Chief Executive Officer spoke to the prominence of the site in Newcastle, saying it is a critically important and significant development for the city that will create a long desired public domain connecting the Harbour to the Cathedral.&nbsp;

“The winning SJB, DBJ, and Curious Practice design unquestionably delivered in its purpose to achieve design excellence and has maintained the Cathedral as the city’s prominent landmark structure with a family of beautiful buildings that follow the topography and mesh with the built form of the hill,” Arnaout said.&nbsp;

“The winning design also was considered as the best outcome to incorporate the numerous heritage elements and considerable level changes across the site,” he said.&nbsp;

Like stage one which has been embraced by the community, achieving a sold out status, the final stages of the project will similarly be instantly recognisable through the adaptation of designs that draw inspiration from existing Newcastle architecture and retention of key heritage buildings.&nbsp;

<img alt="Render of the East End development" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e3ba6bf9-0ee8-46bc-8902-d20ac57da4d9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/SJB_Newcastle%20East%20End%20S3-4_06_LR.jpeg?VersionId=SwJffMJvI1PBhsisr6BbjfG4Tz5AecPV" />

“We will continue to work closely with the winning architect's impressive design during the development application phase and refine the scheme by incorporating recommendations made by the competition jury,” Arnaout added.&nbsp;

Stage three and four of East End sees three buildings establish the marketplace, each following an archetypal form.&nbsp;

The ‘block’ of the heritage Municipal building, the ‘tower’ behind it and the ‘stoa’ forming the western edge, with the architectural gestures designed to provide companions to the Cathedral.&nbsp;

The composition forms an Uffizilike public square which allows for both pause and transition, encouraging passage through and connection to the green space beyond the Cathedral and its garden.

“We love the city and people of Newcastle. With the support of Sam Arnout and Iris Capital, and in collaboration with Newcastle City Council, we’re confident that as a design team will be able to renew this part of the East End for the entire community to be proud of,” Haddow concluded.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=29044]

Cited as one of the country’s first large-scale urban regeneration projects, East End is focused on delivering a blend of residential, retail, entertainment and dining to Newcastle, in a collaboration between three practices, SJB, Durbach Block Jaggers (DBJ) and Curious Practice, following the group’s design competition win. 



alisonwarters@gmail.com

Iris Capital launch final stages in Newcastle East End apartment project

<html><body>
The flow of development to Melbourne CBD's East End began as a trickle relative to surrounding inner city precincts, but the 'Paris End' of late has come into its own. 'Paris End' of course is an ill-fitting moniker (some would also say crass) with current development within the CBD's eastern flank well spread, as opposed to being centralised around Collins Street's historic grandeur.

Bound by Flinders, Elizabeth, Spring and Victoria, Apartments.com.au's Project Database shows a mass of East End developments looking to make their mark. Historically the domain of commercial development, East End was bereft of residential projects as developers favoured proven areas such as Southbank and Docklands, although this trend his has now changed sharply!

Spurred on in part by the phenomenal influx of Asian-based property entities, East End proposals have steadily increased over the last two years as the insatiable push to secure prized sites in the current market shows no signs of slowing; an arms race of property development for lack of a better analogy.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image8ep.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="All shapes and sizes of proposals within East End"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="402" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image8ep.jpg?itok=n5TgfwMI" title="All shapes and sizes of proposals within East End" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>All shapes and sizes of proposals within East End</figcaption></figure><h2>Apartment development leading the charge</h2>

Below is a summary of East End residential projects currently found within the Apartments.com.au Project Database. Given the ever dynamic nature of development and planning at the moment, these may require refreshing in a few weeks time. Regardless, this is the current state of play concerning residential projects within East End.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th>Address</th>
			<th>Apartments</th>
			<th>Developer</th>
			<th>Levels</th>
			<th>Staus</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/empire-melbourne-398-elizabeth-street-melbourne">398 Elizabeth Street</a></td>
			<td>474</td>
			<td>Mammoth Empire</td>
			<td>55</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/abode-318-318-russell-street-melbourne">318 Russell Street</a></td>
			<td>433</td>
			<td>PDG &amp; Schiavello</td>
			<td>57</td>
			<td>Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/crystal-gardens-276-russell-street-melbourne">276 Russell Street</a></td>
			<td>154</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>36</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>500 Elizabeth Street</td>
			<td>524</td>
			<td>Brady Group</td>
			<td>72</td>
			<td>Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/309-325-bourke-street-melbourne">309 Bourke Street</a></td>
			<td>466</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>&gt;10</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/35-spring-street-melbourne">35 Spring Street</a></td>
			<td>270</td>
			<td>CBUS</td>
			<td>43</td>
			<td>Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a></td>
			<td>367</td>
			<td>Artemis Group</td>
			<td>62</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">63 Exhibition Street</a></td>
			<td>328</td>
			<td>Asia One</td>
			<td>67</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/the-trillium-36-la-trobe-street-melbourne">36 La Trobe Street</a></td>
			<td>224</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>39</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/metrolitan-melbourne-137-bourke-street-melbourne">137 Bourke Street</a></td>
			<td>104</td>
			<td>VIMG</td>
			<td>19</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">85 Spring Street</a></td>
			<td>303</td>
			<td>Grocon</td>
			<td>46</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/avant-60-abeckett-street-melbourne">54 A'Beckett Street</a></td>
			<td>750</td>
			<td>Aspial - WCL</td>
			<td>81</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">224 La Trobe Street</a></td>
			<td>1,206</td>
			<td>UEM Sunrise</td>
			<td>88</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">452 Elizabeth Street</a></td>
			<td>622</td>
			<td>Golden Age</td>
			<td>75</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/9-11-exploration-lane-melbourne">9 Exploration Lane</a></td>
			<td>89</td>
			<td>Balfour</td>
			<td>33</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">180 Russell Street</a></td>
			<td>506</td>
			<td>AXF Group</td>
			<td>70</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/48-50-abeckett-street-melbourne">48 A'Beckett Street</a></td>
			<td>235</td>
			<td>Austwin</td>
			<td>45</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">22 Bennetts Lane</a></td>
			<td>25</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>12</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">450 Elizabeth Street</a></td>
			<td>607</td>
			<td>Hengyi</td>
			<td>69</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
There are 19 projects are listed above, six of which are at planning assessment. These six have a total unit count similar to that of the remaining 13 in the list. 3,490 apartments are at planning, with the largest project being UEM Sunrise's 224 La Trobe Street carrying 1,206 dwellings, followed by 54 A'Beckett Street with 750.

A total of 4,247 apartments are counted within the remaining 13 projects which have either been approved or are at registration and sales. 1,227 units are under construction. Those apartments under construction represent 16% of the total 7,737 apartments slated for East End according to the Apartments.com.au Project Database, hinting that East End is heading toward a development surge the likes of which have not been seen before within the precinct.

<h2>Other uses in high demand</h2>

82 Collins Street and the forthcoming Telstra building adjacent to their current Exhibition Street headquarters headline the large commercial projects slated for East End, adding in the vicinity of a combined 150,000sqm of premium office space. Commercial space aside, the surge of hotel suites is something to behold.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image7e.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="80 Collins Street, QT hotel and Hotel Forum"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image7e.jpg?itok=d42RLtJb" title="80 Collins Street, QT hotel and Hotel Forum" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>80 Collins Street, QT hotel and Hotel Forum</figcaption></figure>In part dragged along by a raft of mixed-use, high-rise proposals, the number of expected hotel suites for East End is robust, even with the scrapping of the <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-operators-hope-to-resurrect-1980s-yuppie-haven-in-flinders-lane-20140721-zv8od">Rosati hotel proposal</a> mid 2014.

The current batch of intended hotel locations includes 150 Flinders Street, <a href="/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a>, <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">180 Russell Street</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">63 Exhibition Street</a>, Windsor Hotel and 80 Collins Street's 19 level, 252-room hotel tower. Yielding roughly 1,200 hotel suites, these six projects may be joined by the nearly complete 146-room Brady Hotels tower at 22-32 Little La Trobe and the proposed yet troubled W Hotel development at 20-30 Bourke Street.

<h2>Future impositions?</h2>

It can be argued that as long as strong overseas sales underpin the local apartment market, then the current upward development trend will continue as developers seek new site acquisitions. A prime case in point sees the recent listing of <a href="http://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-melbourne-501229863">168 Exhibition Street</a> by CBRE as offered for sale with a Peddle Thorp development scheme, including a 54 level mixed-use development. 168 Exhibition is symptomatic of the current East End dynamic where bigger is better, but what price for heritage considerations?

The question must be asked: will the influx of many thousands of new residents place too great a burden upon existing infrastructure? Certainly East End has inherent street level qualities and character devoid in areas such as Southbank, and finds itself closer to essential services, amenity and the general 'buzz' of Melbourne. Could existing transport infrastructure be the area most imposed upon by a surging East End population?

A clear positive of Melbourne's East End development surge would be the influx of people, particularly in the commercial dominated areas of Collins &amp; Bourke Street. The resultant surge of residents would serve to activate many after-hour 'dead' spots and encourage new retail/entertainment opportunities to flourish where there were previously none; in effect bolstering and expanding City of Melbourne's <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/COMMUNITYSERVICES/COMMUNITYSAFETY/Pages/24HourCitypolicy.aspx">24 Hour City</a> policy into the eastern reaches of the CBD.

If only a crystal ball were handy to assess whether eastern promises would translate into East End realities!

Lead image courtesy Ryan Seychell.
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