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>

Joel Robinson

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

Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.

The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.

Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]

Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."

“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.

“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]

The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.

“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112343]

Eastern Suburbs buyers snap up ESTE Little Bay apartments

The Gatwick

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Both of The Block Gatwick penthouses have been listed for rent.
They were both bought by the same person, Melbourne construction digital entrepreneur Rob Phillpot, at the live auction in late October.
He spent $2,859,000 on the penthouse renovated by Brisbane couple, radio presenter Jess and her husband Norm, then followed up the purchase buying the adjoining apartment of the netball duo Bianca and Carla for $2,991,000.
Phillpot, who only inspected the apartments two days before the auction, has now listed the penthouses for short-term stays.
Despite spending less on their apartment, Phillpot is asking $681 a night for Jess and Norm's apartment (above), more than the $623 a night for Bianca and Carla's (below).
<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/2019/1/18/bianc1.jpg" alt="">
There have been 170 views of the property in the past week on the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/VacationRentalReview-g255360-d15663928-Doesn_t_get_better_than_this_The_BLOCK_Penthouse-St_Kilda_Port_Phillip_Greater_Melbou" target="_blank">TripAdvisor listing</a>, however there are yet to be any reviews.
It advises that pets and smoking aren't allowed. 
<div class="in-content-ad">
Despite holding the best positions in the building, Bianca and Carla finished fourth in the competition, taking home $301,000 in prize money.
Jess and Norm finished last with only $209,000 of prize money, nearly a third less than winners Hayden and Sara's $645,000 total winnings.
Phillpot, the co-founder of Aconex, didn't watch a single episode of the show. 
 
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<div class="in-content-ad"> </div>
 
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

The Block Gatwick penthouses both for rent

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The two penthouse apartments reigned supreme with the highest price per square meterage in the competition, however it was netball duo Bianca and Carla who scored the best.
Their $15,207.45 price per square metre, which generally doesn't include outdoor space, was secured by The Agency's Michael Paproth and Peter Kakos.
Both of the penthouse apartments were <a href="/news/melbourne-construction-digital-entrepreneur-rob-phillpot-scores-both-block-gatwick-penthouses">bought by digital construction entrepreneur</a> Rob Phillpot.
There was an even bigger difference when including the terrace in the price per sqm calculations. <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/5-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552057" target="_blank">Bianca and Carla's apartment</a> cost nearly $1,000 per sqm more than second place and The Block winners Hayden and Sara.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2018/10/30/per-sqm.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<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/2018/10/30/per-sqm.jpg" alt="">
Hayden and Sara, to everyone's surprise, <a href="/news/mcgrath-secures-surprise-block-gatwick-top-price">won the competition when their unit sold for $3.02 million,</a> the only apartment to clear the $3 million mark despite the penthouses being priced much higher.
The New South Wales couple took home $645,000 including the season 14 prize money.
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

The Agency secure top Gatwick price per sqm

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The two sisters who previously owned and operated The Block Gatwick secured Courtney and Hans’ apartment for $2,770,000.
Hans and Courtney saw an opening $2.2 million offer from an absentee bid <a href="/news/the-block-st-kilda-apartment-to-use-online-auction-tool-gavl-on-finale-night">via the Gavl app.</a>
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/2-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552033" target="_blank">2/34 Fitzroy Street</a> offering came with a $2.4 million reserve adjusted to $2.36 million with five registered buyers.
Courtney and Hans’ whose apartment sold for $2,770,000, some $410,000 over reserve.
<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/2018/10/29/Hans2.jpg" alt="">
It was their mother Vittoria Carbone or ‘Queen Vicky’, who is fondly remembered for her compassionate management of the hotel and her legacy was then carried on by her daughters Rose and Yvette.
"As this building has a significant value for the sisters, they were delighted to have been able to purchase this apartment as a beautiful piece of memorabilia," their buyers' agent Greville Pabst from PropertyDuo advised.
"The apartment will be leased out to struggling families, so in this way they’re able to keep the tradition alive of The Gatwick being a place helping the local community in need,"he added.
 
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Gatwick sisters return to secure Hans and Courtney's Block apartment

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In the first of the five Block Gatwick auctions, Kerrie and Spence sold for $2.85 million to an Australian lawyer based in Singapore who is planning on leasing it out and then living there when he moves back to Melbourne.
The dream kitchen worth $250,000 is what PropertyDuo buyers' agent Greville Pabst found to be very alluring in the apartment. It scored a perfect 30/30 from the judges in kitchen week.
<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/2018/10/29/spence2.jpg" alt="">
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/1-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552025" target="_blank">1/34 Fitzroy Street, </a>offering had a $2.45 million formal reserve with a $15,000 adjustment based on a contestant winning discount which took the reserve to $2.435 million.
The formal price guidance had been $2.5 million to $2.7 million which attracted eight potential buyers who'd registered.
The opening bid at $2.4 million was taken by David Wood of Hocking Stuart with just the three competitive bidders.
Kerrie and Spence secured $415,000 in prize winnings above their reserve.
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Singapore based expat lawyer secures Kerrie and Spence's The Block Gatwick apartment

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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
Rob Phillpot, the co-founder of construction software company Aconex, was the mystery buyer of both of the penthouse apartments in the The Block Gathwick for $5.85 million through PropertyDuo.
Using buyers' agent Greville Pabst, his first acquisition was when Norm and Jess sold their penthouse for $2,859,000 (top and below).
He had inspected the Gatwick only two nights before the auction.
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/4-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552052" target="_blank">Fitzroy Street</a> penthouse offering came with a $2.65 million reserve with five registered buyers.
There was very cautious bidding after its $2.5 million opening bid from another buyers agent Frank Valentic.
Pabst thought the buy "was a very good value" for the south facing apartment with four-metre-high ceilings and massive terrace. Pabst indicated he was prepared to pay more, but there wasn’t competition.
<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/2018/10/29/norm2.jpg" alt="">
Norm and Jess took home $209,000 in prize money.
The next acquisition by Phillpot was the penthouse of Bianca and Carla (below) for $2,991,000, after a tense auction when the auctioneer refused to take a $2.7 million opening bid.
"This is worth $3.25 million," Damien Cooley suggested.
The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/5-34-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-vic-3182-2014552057" target="_blank">5/34 Fitzroy Street</a> penthouse, which doesn't face Fitzroy Street, had a $2.7 million reserve.
<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/2018/10/29/bianc1.jpg" alt="">
The price guidance had been adjusted upwards during the campaign by The Agency to between $2.6 million to $2.8 million. 
Bianca and Carla took home $301,000 in prize money.
<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/2018/10/29/Bianc2.jpg" alt="">
It was in the late 1990s when Aconex was founded in a kitchen by the two Scotch College school friends, Phillpot and Leigh Jasper.
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<div class="cq-article-content-paras section">
In a deal, announced in December 2017, the company was sold to the global tech giant Oracle.
The friends had started thinking about ways in which the internet could help companies deal with large amounts of data and information.
At the time Jasper was at McKinsey &amp; Company, working in CEO strategy, and Phillpot was a project manager at Multiplex Constructions and was facing the challenge of handling thousands of documents on construction projects.
The takeover deal was the largest ever achieved by a listed Australian tech company and saw Jasper and Philpott walk away with approximately $94 million and $88 million respectively.
Phillpot's home town is Warrnambool.
He had not watched any episodes of The Block.
“I came and looked at the penthouses, and they were both amazing,” he said after the auctions.
“I couldn’t pick."
He had not yet decided if he would rent them to long-term tenants or look at short-stay options such as Airbnb. 
Experts have tipped the penthouses could fetch between $2000 and $2500 a night on Airbnb.
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Melbourne construction digital entrepreneur Rob Phillpot scores both Block Gatwick penthouses

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The Block has opened a pop up store opposite the St Kilda location for series 14 at 79 Fitzroy Street.
The shop opened with a party, attended by a host of ex-contestants, including Elyse (below, last year’s winner).
The Fitzroy Street premises will eventually be the Pride Centre where the council have spent $13 million to buy the former Monroe’s Restaurant site with plans to turn it, and the carpark next door, into the Pride Centre, based on San Francisco’s LGBT Community Centre.
The premises previously sold in 1978 at $365,000.
<img src="https://www.theblockshop.com.au/images/blog/The_Blockshop-184.jpg" alt="">
The Block Shop operators are Emma Garland and Sarah Armstrong, the partner of the television show producer, Julian Cress.
The shop launch was filmed as part of this year’s show.
The space had been a restaurant with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling.
The Block Shop Pop Up will service the contestants working across the road at The Gatwick.
It’s also open to the general public.
Having the shop open opposite The Gatwick is helping to regenerate a once tired and run-down stretch of street.
“Lots of neighbours come in, and they are in shock,” the store manager says. “They say, ‘We are so happy you’re around.’
“Hopefully we can give the street a bit of life back - they’ve asked us to stick around for as long as we can, which is nice.”
It’s been set up to service this year’s contestants, providing them with stylish homeware and interior options during filming.
The contestants are under no obligations to use anything in our shop.
Sharing the Block Shop space is Nood Co, the concrete homewares company set up by ex-contestant Matt Di Costa (of ‘Matt and Kim’ fame, The Block Sky High).
His gorgeous concrete sinks were featured in Ronnie and Georgia’s perfect-score guest bathroom last year.
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The Block opens pop up store opposite The Gatwick 

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/78681/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
The closure of the Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda represents a new front in the ongoing gentrification debate in inner Melbourne.
It highlights inconvenient truths about cultural appropriation, heritage as a driver of urban renewal, and the marginalisation of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Gentrification taps into the fundamental urban planning and social issues facing Melbourne and other big Australian cities in coming decades. In particular, it has impacts on liveability, housing affordability, and social cohesion.
Gentrification has its benefits
Gentrification and the financial investment it represents can be a positive and transformative process for local communities. Better access to education and health services, as well as welcoming, attractive and vibrant streetscapes, are just some of the benefits of urban regeneration.
But, too often, the economic benefits of regeneration are separated from its social impact on existing residents. Rising property prices and rents are inevitable with gentrification. As a result, people on low incomes or who rely on social welfare are forced out as the wealthier middle class moves in.
The adaptive reuse or restoration of heritage buildings plays a key role in this process. Such developments can provide a sustainable and culturally sensitive solution to the challenge of increasing population density in our cities. Nonetheless, the debate on the role and value of heritage buildings is often paradoxical and divisive.
At its simplest, the divide is between those who passionately argue for preserving these buildings for their historical and cultural value, and those who see heritage as an unnecessary restriction on urban development.
Sometimes, the two sides align, as is largely the case with the Gatwick. Those in charge of the building’s redevelopment buy into the benefits of gentrification, with this development creating an opportunity to market luxury apartments at a substantial premium.
Trading on edginess and authenticity
The issues surrounding the Gatwick feed into a much more complex and potentially problematic debate about how we value our urban environment.
The threat to heritage is not destruction of the building itself. It’s the loss of a more intangible and hard-to-commodify aspect: the “collective memory” of stories, folklore and history. This forms the cultural fabric that contributes to the urban character and identity of an area.
The reality of life at the Gatwick was sometimes difficult. But, for decades, it provided a home for those most in need of shelter and safety. In the public consciousness, however, the Gatwick was a potent symbol of the inner city’s social problems: homelessness, drug addiction, prostitution and violent crime.
Local traders, residents and politicians all campaigned for its closure. Even the retail decline of Fitzroy Street was blamed on the hotel’s reputation.
It could be argued, though, that this very notoriety played a pivotal role in moving St Kilda along the path of gentrification. In recent decades, property developers have successfully marketed St Kilda as an edgy – but safe – place to live.
The area’s undeniable heritage, set against the backdrop of drugs, prostitution and a healthy dose of rock ’n’ roll folklore, knits together in an irresistible narrative that feeds the public appetite for “cultural authenticity”. In street after street, elegant but tarnished historic buildings have allowed investors to buy into this local mythology with relative ease.
Those who gave area its character lose out
The bitter irony is that this quest for authenticity has left long-term locals, such as the former Gatwick residents, vulnerable to the pitfalls of gentrification. The narrative, of which they formed an integral part, has moved on. New residents have co-opted the authenticity of St Kilda’s past while rejecting the challenging reality of how these social issues play out locally.
In effect, the very people who arguably contributed most to the local community’s cultural diversity and vibrancy are the first to be excluded. This pattern of appropriation, commodification and finally exclusion is replicated in historic suburbs across Melbourne and other cities.
The producers of Channel Nine’s The Block have bought the Gatwick. Under the TV spotlight, the gritty boarding house will undoubtedly be transformed into stylish and desirable apartments aimed at wealthy buyers.
But what does the future look like for its former residents? By ignoring the impact of urban regeneration on the homeless and vulnerable, are we acknowledging that closing the gap between our wealthiest and poorest residents is an impossible task?
Reducing urban regeneration to a system largely driven by the accumulation of personal wealth, with little or no thought for the profound social displacement that gentrification can bring, risks further marginalising those residents who already have little or no say in the future of our cities.
Gareth Wilson is researcher at the Australian Centre for Architectural History, Urban and Cultural Heritage, University of Melbourne and author for The Conversation.
He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gareth-wilson-378123" target="_blank">here</a>.
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