The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Property Invesment

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WHYALLA: Have we ever recommended people invest there? No. Would we invest there right now? No. Is the city on our radar? Absolutely!
One has to feel for the residents of Whyalla following last week’s announcement that the Arrium steelworks, the City’s biggest employer, was placed in to administration. Questions hang over the future of the 1600 to 3000 jobs (depending on which report we read) of those who work at the plant and the likely knock-on effect to local businesses.
Arrium’s troubles stem from a sharp down turn in iron ore prices, China currently having a glut of steel, significant debt, and an inability to fund much needed efficiency improvements.
A little over a year ago, as we often do in attempt to broaden people's views about property investing, Propertyology produced a research report on Whyalla. The report still remains on our website today. Unfortunately, some people seem to interpret a research report as a 'recommendation to invest'. For the record, we've produced more than thirty research reports over the last two years (after all, market research is my profession). But, the city of Whyalla has never been amongst the seven (7) different cities that Propertyology's buyer’s agents have actively investing in during this same period.
<a href="/images/2016/04/13/Screen%20Shot%202016-04-13%20at%209.10.43%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2016/04/13/Screen%20Shot%202016-04-13%20at%209.10.43%20AM.png" alt="">
Whyalla’s recent property market performance is a contrast to its impressive historical performance. It’s unwise to invest in a market whenever there is uncertainty surrounding a significant employer. For those who already own property in Whyalla, I'd suggest that now is not the time to sell. But, I'll also say that, even with these recent events, Whyalla (along with numerous other locations around Australia) still remains on our future 'Watch List'.
That’s right, we have a completely different view to the many narrow-minded scribes whom appear to take delight in giving every regional location a whack whenever there’s a down turn. I’ve never understood what can be gained from pulling at public heart strings with a “blood in the streets” story or from creating a perception of a future "ghost town". It’s little wonder that much of the general public have formed a belief that investing in regional locations constitutes high risk.
A significant proportion of property investors, and those who commentate on property markets, can't see past Australia’s three or four biggest cities – less than twenty per cent of all local government jurisdictions in Australia. It’s impossible for one to ever give themselves a chance of making the best decision possible without first considering one hundred percent of the options.
Historical evidence, as opposed to narrow-minded perception, has taught me that a majority of the locations throughout Australia which have produced the best total return on investment since the turn of the century are regional locations. 
Sure, there are regional locations which represent much higher risk than others. There are also dozens of regional locations which have comparable risk to most capital cities but better potential for return on investment. Every location, capital city or region, has risk!
With the recent downturn of commodity prices, locations which have been adversely affected have become easy targets for some property commentators. Some people forget that the Sydney market flat-lined for six long years while many parts of Australia, especially regional Australia, sustained a long period of strong growth. Even as recently as 2011, the Sydney market declined (albeit small) and followed up with zero growth in 2012. Most properties in Brisbane declined by fifteen per cent between 2011 and 2012. Perth and Darwin are declining right now and Propertyology forecast that both have a bit further to fall. But, that doesn't mean that we should forever right them off as investment prospects. 
A market downturn caused by business closures can happen anywhere. Perhaps one of the most famous examples is the closure of BHP’s steelworks in Newcastle in 1999. The 10,000 direct and indirect jobs lost certainly had a big impact on the workforce of 56,000 people [Census 2001]. Over the next fifteen years, Newcastle’s property market produced a total average annual return (capital growth plus rental yield) which saw it ranked 175th out of 550 local governments in Australia – only two capital cities performed better (Darwin and Perth).
Another example of a market downturn brought on by major business closures is Geelong (Alcoa, Shell and Target circa 2011). In 2014, there was a serious threat of the SPC Ardmona food manufacturing plant closing in Shepparton. More recently, the Clive Palmer owned Queensland Nickel plant in Townsville went in to administration. Meanwhile, after seventy years of operation, Australia’s biggest white goods manufacturer, Electrolux in the regional city of Orange, rolled its last fridge off the production line this week. 
In each case, the businesses in question employed a significant portion of the workforce. Yes, business closures certainly do have an immediate impact on the economy, local confidence, and its property market. But the locations which I referenced earlier each have a long term property market performance that is better than average; I’d always have an open mind to investing there from time to time. 
Still today, Brisbane’s property market is spluttering through its recovery from thousands of administration job losses as a result of the coal industry downturn and public service cuts. Melbourne and Adelaide will soon feel the brunt of car manufacturing closures (watch this space).
Risks to investors come from a range of factors. Natural disasters such as floods, hail storms, bush fires, cyclones, and drought have hit numerous capital cities and regional locations over the years. Airline strikes, high oil prices, exchange rates, terrorist attacks could have a significant impact on the economy of Australia’s biggest cities. And, not to be under-estimated, an over-zealous construction industry risks property price reductions through over-supply of housing (refer Gladstone, Mackay, Darwin, inner-Melbourne, and more to come).
One of the most important considerations for property investors when evaluating the potential risk to a market is the cost of a typical property. The higher it is the further it can fall. Imagine the potential impact on a market where the typical property costs $800,000 to $1,000,000, the typical mortgage is seventy to eighty per cent of that, and interest rates rising by one to two per cent. What do you think the typical mortgage balance is in a location where standard properties cost between $250,000 and $450,000? 
There’s risk in everything. To get that right balance of managing risk and targeting better opportunities, my own investment strategy is not that dissimilar to an astute share investor. Rather than sink 100% of my investment capital in to one (or two) expensive assets which fewer people can afford to buy, I prefer to carve up my capital and spread it across more markets, in assets which more people can afford, and with more sources of rental income. I maintain balance within my portfolio by strategically selecting locations in different states and through towns and cities which each have different industries that drive their economy.
Capital cities and regions: I invest in both! But, I won't shy away from the fact that I favour more regional markets right now than capital cities. Lots more! 
A typical property in a location such as Whyalla may only require (say) $40,000 of my investment capital and have an impact on my annual cash flow of a couple of thousand dollars. A comparable property in a big city will require two to three times as much of my capital to purchase it and in excess of $10,000 per year to hold it. Risk? 
For the record, Whyalla’s Arrium plant has not closed, it has been placed in administration. All forms of governments and advisors, including Paul Keating, are reviewing options. While closure is certainly a possibility, there is also a possibility that Arrium could survive and come out of this in a stronger in years to come. 
Paul Billingham from Grant Thornton (Arrium’s Administrator) was quoted over the weekend saying "…We’re talking about capital improvements that actually make the operation from mining right through to milling more efficient. The debt burden of the company didn’t make it possible to make those investments while they were operating. This plant is viable. These jobs can survive". 
In spite of the recent downturn, the enormous reserves of gold, copper, zinc and uranium nearby to Whyalla have not evaporated. The multi-billion-dollar steel factory infrastructure is likely to still be standing when iron prices turn the corner. The existing deep sea port infrastructure isn’t about to be dragged away by a humpback whale. Housing is still affordable. Core fundamentals remain! 
The ‘watch-this-space’ factor for Whyalla is the large BHP owned Olympic Dam projects which Propertyology referred to in our research report. If / when that project were to get given the green light, just imagine what that would do for Whyalla’s economy. Just imagine the return on investment from that initial $40,000 capital outlay.
 
Simon Pressley is Managing Director of Propertyology, a REIA Hall Of Fame Inductee, property market analyst, accredited property investment adviser, and Buyer’s Agent. <a href="https://www.propertyology.com.au/more-than-a-buyers-agent/">Propertyology works exclusively with property investors</a> to purchase properties in strategically chosen locations all over Australia.
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