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

Horse Racing

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The Agency has partnered with the Australian Turf Club, and as part of its sponsorship, the prestigious George Ryder Stakes will now be The Agency George Ryder Stakes.
Matt Lahood has assisted the ATC for 20 years as a property advisor.
"I am thrilled to re-connect with this much-loved Australian sporting institution," he said.
He caught up with the ATC chairman Laurie Macri to celebrate their working together (above).
The Agency George Ryder Stakes – one of five Group 1 races on Longines Golden Slipper Day – is also ranked as one of the highest rated races in the world.
The world’s equal highest rated horse Winx has won the past two The Agency George Ryder Stakes and is again aiming for the $1 million Group 1 race.
 
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The Agency sponsors George Ryder Stakes

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Champion horse trainer David Hayes and wife Prue have bought a Sydney bolthole — a Coogee garden apartment.
The Toorak-based couple, who were Adelaide born, have just spent $2.3 million on the <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-nsw-coogee-125514210" target="_blank">three bedroom offering</a>.
It is just a couple of hundred metres from the beach, and not far from his satellite stable at ­Randwick.
Set in the boutique complex of eight, the 350sq m apartment has an open plan lounge and dining area that lead to a large terrace and lawn.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/11/7/Hayes4.jpg" alt="">
Purplebricks agent Dean ­Emerson initially sought $2.35 million at its unsuccessful June auction.
The unit, built in 2013, had previously been a $1350 a week rental. 
Hayes is the son of legendary Australia Racing Hall of Fame trainer, the late Colin Hayes.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/11/6/Hayes2.jpg" alt="" style="font-size: 12.16px;">
From his Flemington stables, David Hayes, who became the youngest member in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2008, has secured $9 million in prize money in the 2017-18 racing season. He bagged $19 million the previous year.
His reputation was further ­enhanced last weekend after the triumph of his long-shot Boom Time in the Caulfield Cup.
What a life! It was his third Caulfield Cup, this one trained with son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, who became the third generation of the Hayes family to lift the cup.
David and his father Colin won the race with How Now in 1976. The family is now prepping Boom Time for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
Speaking to Fox Sports, rival trainer Gai Waterhouse said “crazier things have happened” when referring to Boom Time’s chances on Tuesday. Hayes is also taking stablemate Ventura Storm to the race that stops the nation.
He has trained nearly 100 Group One winners, including winners in the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper.
Hayes isn’t the only horse racing enthusiast buying.
Owner and breeder Peter Horwitz has recently traded up in Mosman, spending $8.2 million on a four ­bedroom Vincent Squillace-designed home.
It was the home of former Netscape Australasia boss Clive Mayhew-Begg and his wife Eriko Kinoshita.
Horwitz is still to sell his Balmoral Slopes home which has $7.5 million to $8 million hopes through McGrath.
Earlier this year Godolophin head trainer James Cummings, who replaced John O’Shea in May, bought a Malabar home with wife Monica Barrera-­Cummings.
They paid $3.7 million.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
 
 
 
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Legendary horse trainer David Hayes buys in Coogee

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Cismontane, a horse part-owned by Marshall White estate agent John Bongiorno, won the weekend Lexus Stakes and gained a place in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.
The final field contains 11 internationals and 13 Australian-trained gallopers.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will attempt to snatch the Cup with their featherweight hope, Cismontane.
It is owned by the Glenvallen Investments Pty Ltd Syndicate (Mgr: F L Li), D H Kobritz, J B Bongiorno, D W Lilley, C Tognolini, S D Gorman &amp; Ms K Waterhouse.
Gai Waterhouse, David Kobritz and Bongiorno  – also known by ‘Jack’ – have held the Melbourne Cup aloft on prior first Tuesdays in November but they didn't expect to be at Flemington this year.
Kobritz has his first Melbourne Cup runner since Subzero.
In 2012 Bongiorno had part ownership of two runners in the Melbourne Cup.
He has an interest in Glencadam Gold and also Fiorente, both trained by Gai Waterhouse.
Fiorente took the Melbourne Cup win in 2013.
In 2015 he sold champion jockey Damien Oliver's Port Melbourne’s Beacon Cove offering for almost $2.2 million.
Most of Melbourne's agents take time off during the Melbourne Cup carnival - with just the 300 weekend auctions last Saturday.
But no doubt Bongiorno is still seeking out interested buyers of prestige Melbourne property. His recent sales include <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-vic-kooyong-125262270" target="_blank">a $7 million Kooyong sale</a>.
Meanwhile Lloyd Williams, who regularly appears in the property news, will chase an unprecedented sixth Cup.
Williams has a record six runners — defending champion Almandin, Johannes Vermeer, Rekindling, US Army Ranger, Bondi Beach and Gallante.
Trainer David Hayes has two horses in the race, his Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time and Ventura Storm, which counts billionaire retailer Brett Blundy and his fellow Rich Lister, the aged care magnate Bryan Dorman in its star-studded ownership group, as well as Yalumba Wines boss Robert Hill-Smith and Melbourne business identity Michael Valmorbida.
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Forget Boom Time, get on John Bongiorno's featherweight Melbourne Cup contender, Cismontane

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A purpose-built horse stable complex in the Bundall Equine Precinct on the Gold Coast owned by racing legend Mick Dittman has been listed for sale.
The property at <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-qld-bundall-502549070" target="_blank">88 Racecourse Drive, Bundall</a>, has been leased by leading trainer Toby Edmonds.
It is on a nearly 3,000 sqm block and is being marketed via expressions of interest ending October 6 through Ray White Broadbeach.
The listing agents are Tony Grbcic and Adam Grbcic.
Grbcic said the property is the newest and most modern facility within the Bundall Equine Precinct.
It is rented for nearly $175,000 plus GST per annum on a three-year lease with a two-year option.
The facility is part-owned by Mick Dittman, who during his jockeying career won more than 1,700 races including the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, two Cox Plates and three Golden Slippers.
“It is also the closest facility to the Gold Coast Turf Club, therefore, there has always been a high demand and high occupancy at this complex,” Grbcic said.
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The complex includes a gross building area of approximately 1,885 sqm over two levels, 60 stable boxes, covered walker facility with a state of the art treadmill, and a two-bedroom caretaker’s residence. 
“The strength of this precinct and property is underpinned by the locality and facilities of the Gold Coast Turf Club,” he said.
“The ongoing upgrades and infrastructure at the Turf Club are a representation of the strength and growth in the local racing industry.”
 
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Legendary jockey Mick Dittman's stable complex in Gold Coast up for sale

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As he gears up for a bumper day at Rosehill Gardens which could see him all but crowned Sydney's premiership jockey, Brenton Avdulla has bought a townhouse in Pagewood.
The Melbourne-born jockey has paid $1,788,000 for an off the plan offering in the new S Pagewood development by Silkari.
It's further away from the track than his other Sydney property, a one bedroom Kensington unit just a stroll from Royal Randwick.
Avdulla sits at the top of the Sydney jockey's premiership with an 11.5-win lead over the Winx riding Hugh Bowman in second.
Today the 26 year old has a full book of rides at Rosehill including four early favourites Intrinsic, New Universe, Dagny and So Willie.
Avdulla has earned over $46 million in prize money, with his greatest triumph coming last year when he rode rank outsider Lasqueiti Spirit to the Crown Oaks at Flemington.
It was priced at $100 to win.
The 26 year old, who is riding without the backing of a major stable, has led the title race for most of the season with 18 city meetings remaining.
He's secured a three storey townhouse which sold through NG Farah agents Joe Recep and Martin Farah.
Its on the 19,000 square metre site that property investor Robert Magid sold for $41 million to Chinese-backed Visionary Investment Group last year for $41 million.
Once home to the Electrolux manufacturing plant, it had approval for 209 apartments and 35 townhouses.
The four bedroom home designed by architects Turner Studio will be nestled in private gardens.
It offers 126 square metre space, a 46 square metre garden and a 24 square metre car space.
Should Avdulla rent the home, its estimated return of $1,000 to $1,100 would give him a rental yield of around 3%.
Its set to settle in 2018.
Early last month Avdulla chalked up his 100th winner for the season in New South Wales, the third consecutive year he's racked up. 
This article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph.
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Jockey Brenton Avdulla buys off the plan in Pagewood

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Long-time rich lister and Canberra Airport owner Terry Snow is Australia's newest billionaire.
Last year, he slipped two places to 84 in the BRW Rich List of the wealthiest 200 Australians. His estimated wealth was around $685 million last year.
But this year the word is that he's joined billionaire status. The magazine hits news stands later this week in its 34th edition.
Last year’s billionaire’s club had 53 rich listers, with Harry Triguboff, Australia’s largest apartment builder, leading with a wealth of $10.62 billion.
Other property tycoons in the top 5 were Westfield chairman Frank Lowy at no. 3 with a wealth of 8.26 billion and John Gandel at no. 5 with $5.4 billion.  
Terry Snow's smartest investment was buying the Canberra Airport for $65 million in 1998 with a 99-year-year lease from the Federal Government. He committed $480 million to its redevelopment.
The upgrade paved the way for a major new terminal in 2013 and the airport has more international flights now. 
The value of all the properties in the airport portfolio was listed at $2.6 billion in its 2016 financial report, up from $2.39 billion the previous year. It made an operating profit of $216 million.
Since privatisation Canberra Airport precinct now comprises the terminal and Fairbairn RAAF base, as well as Brindabella Business Park and Majura Park, all of which have undergone extensive development.
The Canberra-based businessman, who started out as an accountant, is spending $100 million on a horse facility that would be his legacy project.
It caters for all equestrian sports, including dressage, showjumping, three-day-eventing, campdrafting and vaulting, according to the Australian Financial Review.
He has appointed Cox Architecture for designing the custom-built horse park on Snow’s 860-hectare property, Willinga Park, at Bawley Point on the NSW south coast.
Snow wants the park to stage a variety of horse events, for which he intends to partner with leading equestrian organisations and attract corporate sponsorship, the AFR said. The private park has multiple arenas, a stable complex and showy hospitality space.
He’s also breeding pedigreed Australian Stock Horses with price tags averaging $11,000, whose sale is expected to help the costs of the park’s full-time staff.
The property comprises three Olympic-sized dressage arenas, one of which is undercover, plus a warm-up arena, the AFR recently noted.
It was Bob Snow and his two sons, Terry and George, who founded the forerunner to CPT in Canberra in the early 1980s. Terry Snow was the driving force behind Capital while his brother held  separate interests in two listed companies, Biron Corporation and Skansen Holdings.
Terry Snow, of Capital Property Trust, debuted with $70 million in 1993 when the 10 richest were: 
<ol>
<li> The Murdoch family         $4.5bn</li>
<li> Kerry Packer                $3 bn</li>
<li> Sidney Myer, Neilma Gantner and Marigold Southey  $820 m</li>
<li> David Hains                $750 m</li>
<li> Frank Lowy                 $670 m</li>
<li> The Smorgon family         $650 m</li>
<li> Lindsay Fox                $600 m</li>
<li> Richard Pratt              $550 m</li>
<li> John Gandel                $500 m</li>
<li> Solomon Lew                $500 m</li>
</ol>
 
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Long-time rich lister and Canberra Airport owner Terry Snow is Australia's newest billionaire

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The doyen of Australian race-callers, John Tapp and wife Ann have sold their Ebenezer home within a week of its listing.
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-nsw-ebenezer-123667370" target="_blank">The 10 hectare estate</a> was used for a harness racing facility which was his hobby turned second career.
Complete with an all weather training track, stable complex, spelling paddocks and day yards, the facility was home to the likes of his group one winner, Chariot King.
The sand stock brick home has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an entertaining deck and swimming pool which are set amongst manicured gardens and sandstone boulders.
There is also a self contained granny flat on the Hawkesbury district equestrian estate some 70 kilometres north-west of the Sydney CBD.
Offers over $2 million were being sought by Starr Partners Windsor agent Adam Buchert who found the buyer mid-week.  
Tapp was one of Australia's most beloved race callers. It was estimated over his 33 year career that he called over 50,000 individual races.
As an 11 year old he developed a fascination with listening to famous race caller of the day Ken Howard on the wireless radio.
John began painting Paddle Pop icecream sticks the same colours as the jockeys' silks.
He learnt his craft by tossing the sticks into the stormwater drain that ran behind his childhood home and then called the ensuing race as the sticks floated off.
Tapp retired from race calling in 1998 but maintained an involvement through Sky Channel. 
Tapp nominated Kingston Town, Octagonal and Super Impose amongst the best he had seen during his long broadcast career. 
He was introduced to trotting through a celebrity challenge, then bought a property at Luddenham where he bred his first horse, a little mare he called Red Mittens.
His other horses included Alias Kent, Orbital, Lord Patterson, Blue Baffin, Lochlee Eaglehawk and Supergas, all cheap horses.
This article was first published in the Sunday Telegraph.
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