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

Office

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Where are we right now and what actually determines the cycles for the residential and commercial sector?
As it happens, most people believe every sector is quickly affected by interest rate movements, that's not strictly true.
And where interest rates do have an effect, the actual timing of that also varies.
How it seems to work in practice
The most sensitive sector is clearly residential property.
As interest rates rise, this immediately starts to curb home buyer borrowing — which, in turn, thins out the number of people bidding at auction and that quickly affects selling prices.
Generally, about three to six months later, you'll notice retail sales being affected. As a result, investors will tend to temper their demand for that sector.
Because most industrial property is largely used for product distribution … any fall in retail sales tends to decrease the need for storing additional stock.
As such, the industrial market can then start to become affected — with about a 12-month time lag.
Residential property right now
Despite all the publicity about having an over-heated housing sector, the stats suggest any collapse in the residential market is still a fair way off.
During last year, home buyers were more or less playing catch-up — as a result of effectively doing nothing since the GFC.
And so, you are likely to see prices stabilise throughout the remainder of 2014.
The office sector
The office sector is basically unaffected by interest rates.
Instead, it closely tracks economic activity and this is what then determines the supply and demand for office space.
Bottom line: As a result of where things sit in the current cycle, you should be enjoying good growth for office property over the next three to five years — certainly in the Sydney and Melbourne markets.
With a those markets expected to peak somewhere around 2018/19.
Unfortunately, the other capital city office markets appear to be running several years behind this time frame, so make your investment decisions with this in mind.
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Do low interest rates affect the commercial property cycle?

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Strata office suites in a prominent building in Melbourne's Docklands have been listed for sale. 
The strata units are situated on levels one and two of the Site one building, at 757 Bourke Street - considered to be the heart of the Dockland's financial business district. Site one is an office, retail and residential complex comprising a total of about 1,435 square metres of fully air-conditioned office space split over two levels.
Marketing the suites are Ray White Commercial's Queensland associate director Chris Heydon and Blair Main Director of TM Realty Docklands.
“Each office is fully carpeted with plaster walls, suspended ceilings, heating and cooling, and data and electrical points throughout", said Mr Heydon.
The offices range in size from about 30 square metres to 65 square metres.
The tenancy mix in building consists of professionals ranging from lawyers, marketers, engineers and recruiters as well as some of Australia’s major sporting organisations. 
Each floor had two kitchenettes, shower facilities and male and female amenities.
“Office tenants will also enjoy access to the Trevor Main Business Centre on level one which consists of a reception area as well as four state of the art meeting/board rooms”, added Mr Heydon. 
The ground floor tenancies of the building included an IGA supermarket, Degani Bakery Café, Booji Café, La Tadka Restaurant and the Nixon Hotel Bar and Restaurant.
Nearby is also some of the country's biggest companies - the National Australia Bank, KPMG, Lion Nathan, March Mercer, and the Commonwealth Bank and many more. 
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Strata offices in Docklands listed

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Boutique Australian financial services advisory company has leased about 485 square metres of office/warehouse space at Coorparoo in Brisbane's east. 
Protect Ensure secured the lease at 8/55-61 Holdsworth Street to accommodate its growing business.
Under the deal, the firm has agreed to take out a three year lease, at a net rental of $48,500 per annum plus GST and outgoings. 
The refurbished office space includes about 77.9 square metres of offices on the ground floor and a mezzanine area of some 244.5 square metres. The warehouse is about 163.4 square metres with a container height roller door and also includes four car spaces. The selling agent was Rhiannon Jones of Ray White Commercial Brisbane Trade Coast 
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Coorparoo, Brisbane warehouse leased by Protect Ensure

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Oil and gas exploration giant, Carnarvon Petroleum Limited has secured 281 square metres in an office building in West Perth. 
The lease occupies part of the office space, at 2/76 Kings Park Road and runs for five years with a further five year option. It is understood that the net rent per annum is about $400 per square metre. 
The leasing agent was Lachlan Ottley of Savills Leasing WA. 
The office space features a combination of office fit-out and open plan with ample parking, and was close to local amenity, public transport and the CBD, said Mr Ottley. 
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Carnarvon Petroleum Limited lease West Perth office

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Australia's leasing market is on the cusp of a revival. The upbeat assessment was revealed in CBRE’s National Office Marketview report, which says that improvements in the consumer, housing and export sectors is expected to remove some pressure from tenants’ business top-line performance from late 2014.
It's those favourable economic conditions in the second half of 2014 that it believes should provide the basis for the return of tenant demand.
But CBRE cautions that due to a strong supply pipeline, market vacancies will likely rise over the next two to three years.
CBRE’s associate director of research and co-author of the report, Claire Cupitt, said that it was widely recognised that 2013 was a historical low point for tenant demand across Australia, with the eastern seaboard markets the most over-exposed.
“In an attempt to preserve valuations, net face rents were largely sustained."
"However, soft leasing activity, higher vacancy and record levels of sub-lease space on the market saw incentives rise across the board and effective rents fall,” she said.
CBRE believes that the key to improved occupier markets will be a "growing employment base", which it expects to be concentrated in the second half of 2014.
"Directionally, we are about to turn the corner, but the improvement will be slow," Cupitt said.
What remains the most concerning aspect for the office market for CBRE is the strong supply in the CBD markets. Supply is forecast to outweigh demand over the next three, which despite the improving demand, it said would still have a pronounced effect in Melbourne and Perth, followed by Sydney and Brisbane.
“Given the supply/demand imbalance, our assessment of effective rents remains to the downside with further increases in incentives offered in order to support face rents on the eastern seaboard", said Cupitt.
In contrast, the report is forecasting Perth CBD incentives to peak above 27% in 2015.
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Australia's leasing market is on the cusp of a revival: CBRE

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Brisbane’s landmark State Law Building in the north quarter of the CBD has been slated for sale.
The 50 Ann Street building is fully leased to the Queensland state government until 2020 and is being sold by Harburg Investments. 
The 25-storey tower offers 25,519 square metres of office space and includes 119 car parks. It was given the nickname of Batman building in 1995 after becoming the first major Brisbane CBD building to receive a complete refurbishment, including a total façade replacement and roof treatment which resulted in the property earning its name. 
The building was again upgraded in 2006/2007 when the current lease to the Queensland government started, becoming one of the city's first 5 Star NABERS energy rated buildings.
Bill Tucker, Bruce Baker and Flint Davidson of CBRE are marketing the property. 
Mr Tucker said the building was currently rented at a rate which was below market levels. "This is very unusual in the Brisbane CBD – a market in which most buildings are now over-rented due to the timing of recent supply and demand cycle," he said. 
“There is currently a significant lack of stock available in the Australian office sector and given the attributes of 50 Ann Street we expect the sale campaign to generate strong interest from both local and offshore buyers.”
Expressions of interest close on May 8.
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Brisbane's landmark State Law Building slated for sale

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Engineering and infrastructure management services company Downer EDI Limited has leased 711 square metres of office space in the Fauldings headquarters building in the Adelaide suburb of Underdale. 
The company has committed to a two and a half years lease, at 115 Sherriff Street, with the initial rent struck at $250 gross per square metre annually.  
CBRE’s Michael Pfitzner negotiated the deal on behalf of lessor Symbion. 
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Downer EDI Limited lease Underdale, Adelaide office space

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DEXUS Property Group and DEXUS Wholesale Property Fund has secured international law firm Allens to its premises at yet-to-be built 480 Queen Street building in the Brisbane CBD.
The agreement will see Allens take over about 4,000 square metres on levles 24-26 in sky-rise section of the building. The lease will put the occupancy rate in the building to 50%, which is well ahead of the targeted completion date of February 2016. 
Allens will join BHP Billiton, Herbert Smith Freehills and The Executive Centre in the building.
The 480 Queen Street office development is described as a "strategic investment" jointly owned by DEXUS and DWPF located in Brisbane’s ‘Golden Triangle’ office precinct and is being developed by Grocon on a fund-through basis.
It is targeting a 6-Star Green Star and 5-star NABERS energy rating. 
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Allens lease three floors of yet to be completed Brisbane building

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Strong competition for a commercial freehold building located within the Footscray Activity Centre has sold for $800,000 above the reserve price.
Four bidders chased the property, at 202-208 Nicholson Street and 37 Albert Street, before it fell under the auctioneers hammer for $5.8 million.
The property encompasses a large land site of about 2,639 square metres with dual 24 metre- plus frontages to Nicholson and Albert Streets.
It features a two-storey commercial office freehold of about 2,706 square metres which includes four ground floor retail showrooms and first floor commercial office accommodation. The property is leased to established tenants with an estimated net rental of $490,000 per annum, which reflected an initial yield of 8.5% to the purchaser.
Among the tenants are Parliament of Victoria (Marsha Thompson MP), Carers Association of Victoria Incorporated, Choice Family Day Car Services, and Haange Family Day Care.
Fitzroys agents James Gregson and David Bourke handled the campaign. Mr Gregson said the property’s location within the Footscray Activity Centre, close to Victoria University, Grocon’s McNabb development and Footscray Railway Station, which was undergoing development, was a major factor in the successful outcome. “We are witnessing greater interest across these inner western markets from investors and developers seeking to get in early and seize these unique opportunities,” he said.
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Footscray commercial freehold building sells for $800,000 above reserve price

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GUEST OBSERVATION
It’s impossible not to notice that Australia is shedding blue collar jobs. But what about their white collar equivalents and impacts on CBD office demand?
According to Deloitte Access Economics’ latest employment forecasts, while job growth outside of the nation’s CBDs came to a halt in the second half of 2013, business district office jobs are the only big labour market group adding jobs of late. In fact they actually gained momentum in the second half of 2013.
Yet this growth is small, and the recovery is reliant on the positives of low interest rates, a falling dollar and signs of greater willingness by businesses to take on risk.
Although the news will get better in the next couple of years, nothing like the pre-GFC performance of office demand looks to be on the horizon.
With the exception of Sydney , the nation’s office markets are almost all seeing slow growth, the finance sector is still cutting its headcount and the usually reliable business services sector is losing jobs even faster.
Like Sydney, Adelaide is losing jobs, continuing the worsening trend evident since the GFC and Melbourne is motoring in low gear – also losing finance jobs, but with some business services sector resilience.
There are only two exceptions to the ‘slow growth’ character of Australian office markets: Perth, where growth is still good but slowing as cost cutting by the resources sector takes a continuing toll and the state government tightens purse strings; and Brisbane, where recent job gains have restored some previous losses.
Perth is more exposed to resource-related cutbacks than any other state and things are likely to get worse before they get better. Brisbane is already seeing a tentative recovery underway.
So, with a blue collar slowdown and white collar growth faring better inside CBDs than outside them, where to next?
Overall job growth enters 2014 devoid of momentum, yet there are some positives. One is that employment is a backward looking indicator and the news of late on the economy has been improving – retail sales growth is accelerating, evidence of a recovery in housing construction continues to strengthen, and the news out of the US looks good.
That trend points to a few reasons to expect that better job news lies ahead.
The upshot is that Deloitte Access Economics projects office demand growth to improve further from here, but from a pretty weak starting point. 
Damian Winterburn is the national leader of <a href="https://www.deloittecaplandrealestate.com.au/" target="_blank">Deloitte Capland Real Estate Advisory</a>.
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