North Sydney apartments

North Sydney is set to welcome a new apartment development with Chinese developer Wu Investments soon to launch&nbsp;Serendipity, a collection of 29 apartments near North Sydney's Northpoint Tower retail hub.

Prices will start from $1.23 million for the one-bedroom apartments with a study at 5 Doohat Avenue. The two-beds, also with a study, are priced from $1,765,000, and the three-bedroom apartments from $3.09 million.

Wu Investments already have a builder appointed,&nbsp;Novati, who will begin construction next year. The four-level building has been designed by&nbsp;Mackenzie Architects International, with interiors by Tesser Arch and landscaping by Conzept Architects.

One of the drawcards of the project is the location, just a 10-minute&nbsp;walk to North Sydney station, Greenwood Plaza, and the North Sydney metro, due to be completed Q2 of 2024.

Ray White Projects Western Sydney Managing Director Mark Bernberg expects high demand for the boutique apartments situated in a quiet street.&nbsp;

"Sitting amongst close distance to medical, school and transport and a short walk to Sydney CBD, Serendipity is a reflection of the strong market we’re seeing for off-the-plan projects," Bernberg says,

Bernberg says buyers are now looking to transact with interest rate hikes all but over.

"There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding interest rates, with people sitting on their hands and not willing to commit. What we’re starting to see now is confidence in both home buyers and investors as we realise that interest rate hikes are unlikely with the most likely move next year being downward.

"We’re in a unique position with our off the plan project, with North Sydney looking to grow year on year and interest rate rises coming to a stop, investors and home buyers can see strong ROI and positive rental history and high capital growth opportunities.&nbsp;

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North Sydney has seen a sales turnover of 4.4 per cent in the past 12 months, with an annual 10-year compound growth rate at a steady 4.2 per cent and a 3.3 per cent rental yield.

The average person holding their property for 12.2 years shows strong opportunities for investors.&nbsp;

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Wu Investments have previously developed in the North Shore before, completing&nbsp;Thirty 8 Albert Avenue, a mix of apartments, a 100-room hotel, and an eye hospital, back in 2015.

Ray White Projects Western Sydney Managing Director Mark Bernberg expects high demand for the boutique apartments situated in a quiet street

Joel Robinson

Serendipity, North Sydney apartment development, to launch

Prominent Sydney developer Podia has submitted plans for its next apartment project.

In a joint venture with CASA, Podia is seeking to developer 71 dwellings, a mix of apartments and townhouses, at <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/45-mclaren-street-north-sydney">45 McLaren Street, North Sydney</a>.

“Timeless, Luxury, Sanctuary. ... providing residents with a comfortable, timeless sanctuary they can call home, away from the bustling city outside.” --- Podia &amp; CASA

The $68.7 million project, opposite the recently topped out AURA by Aqualand, has been cleverly designed by Bates Smart and features a striking stepped form which has the building stagger up to it's 14th level, allowing for a number of large terraces on the upper floors. 
<img alt="Podia Bates Smart North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c968c9e5-d811-4f7d-adf2-f57388d4ee88" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Podia%20larger.png?VersionId=4iKHOf1NOhLQ6sXc7y9o0N2e3pP889QB" />

Bates Smart said the vision is&nbsp;for a sustainable, mixed-use building that provides exceptional dwellings which capitalise on the site’s location between North Sydney’s dense and thriving CBD and North Sydney’s Civic Precinct.

"Consistent with Council’s vision for the precinct, the design proposes a mixed-use building comprising boutique residential dwellings and a variety of non-residential uses to contribute to the commercial and public life of North Sydney," their submission read.

"The building form responds carefully to existing context, including significant level changes, adjacent heritage buildings, and the future Ward Street Precinct Plaza."

<img alt="Podia North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dc453649-a7e8-4f84-854d-4b26e87ce843" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-07-31%20at%2012.37.32%20pm.png?VersionId=GvXyLSzu6lDJowvBpYVitcHlPA2gIwGc" />

They suggested the podium design complements the site’s lower-scale density, fine-grain heritage and leafy character along Walker Street, as well as the mixed-use character along McLaren Street.

"Importantly, the lower levels of the building will provide positive place making initiatives to activate McLaren, Walker and Harnett streets as well as the expanded and improved through-site link."

<img alt="Podia North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32bde44d-2d37-4c94-9619-fdbb89842648" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-07-31%20at%2012.36.44%20pm.png?VersionId=6zN42EMkfwshxmxis92VU7MqS1xKnMz0" />

Nearly half of the building is three-bedroom apartments, which start from over 100 sqm and go as large as 184 sqm.

There's 20 one-beds, ranging in size from 52 sqm to 65 sqm, and 15 two-bedroom apartments between 74 sqm and 110 sqm.

The sole four-bedroom apartment, the penthouse, spans two levels and has 387 sqm of living space, with extensive terraces.

Communal amenity will be in the form of a roof terrace on level eight.

There's a handful of terrace homes which Bates Smart say&nbsp;reference the scale, proportions, detail, and materiality observed in Victorian homes found in the locality, specifically the adjacent heritage homes at 150 Walker Steet.

Part of the development will be a new public through site link connecting Walker Street and Harnett Street, with the latter being the access to the three-level commercial space.

"The robust expression and warm coloration presents as a little gem to be found down this side street," Bates Smart said of new site link.

<img alt="Podia North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="905fc245-1b94-4a40-ab27-1d1b6223ef04" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202023-07-31%20at%2012.35.39%20pm.png?VersionId=bPXZbRorDR0qaKvs2.0dACLj88IA1De9" />

The 1,792 sqm site is less than 200 metres from the Victoria Cross Metro north entry, and less than 400 metres from the south entry.

Urbis prepared a Heritage Impact Statement, citing over 10 different heritage-listed buildings within the immediate vicinity. The site also sits close to, not in, the&nbsp;and Walker and Ridge Streets Heritage Conservation Area.

They believe however the&nbsp;proposed building has been assessed and found to provide a "well-mannered response to the streetscape in its siting, setbacks, footprint, and scale."

They stated the retention of mature tree plantings and provision of soft landscaping is sympathetic to the context, and the stepped roof&nbsp; assists to reduce overall bulk and scale of the building and references the form of the heritage items adjacent to the west.

Podia, led by founder and director Stephen Dwight, currently has two apartment projects under construction, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/the-bonobo-by-raes-116-118-jonson-street-byron-bay">The Bonobo by Raes</a> in <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/byron-bay-nsw">Byron Bay</a> and The Address in <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/east-melbourne-vic">East Melbourne</a> in conjunction with <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/luxcon">Luxcon</a>.

As well as McLaren Street, Podia is working on an apartment project on <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/nsw/podia-lodge-plans-for-six-storey-neutral-bay-apartment-project">Neutral Bay's Ben Boyd Road</a>.

In a joint venture with CASA, Podia is seeking to developer 71 dwellings, a mix of apartments and townhouses, at 45 McLaren Street, North Sydney

First look: Podia and CASA lodge Bates Smart plans for Walker St, North Sydney mixed-use tower

The growth&nbsp;of North Sydney continues with plans lodged by development giant Cbus&nbsp;to create a new residential tower.

The tower will rise 28 levels&nbsp;from a prime 3,950 sqm across&nbsp;173-179 Walker Street and 11-17 Hampden Street, in an area known as the East Walker Street Precinct, up the road from the Aura by Aqualand development.

The new Walker Street project&nbsp;will home 189 apartments, a mix of studios through to four-bed apartments, as well as a handful of Walker Street Terraces.

Cbus Property&rsquo;s Chief Executive Officer Adrian Pozzo&nbsp;said the intention is to develop high-end owner-occupier residences in this fabulous location, with views across the eastern side of Sydney Harbour and northern Sydney.

&ldquo;In recognising the prime location of the site within close proximity of the vibrant and burgeoning North Sydney CBD, we seized the opportunity to create this partnership to deliver this outstanding residential development opportunity,&rdquo; Pozzo said.

Local architecture and design firm fjmtstudio has designed the latest plans for the tower. Plans had previously been submitted by SJB on behalf of Avenor, who sold the site to CBUS in a joint venture&nbsp;for around $150 million last year. Avenor planned for&nbsp;266 apartments when they had the site.

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/173-179-walker-street-north-sydney"><img alt="" height="1140" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2022-07-07_at_7.11.57_am.png" width="2060" /></a>

Fjmtstudio Design Director, Richard Francis-Jones, said delivering improved outcomes for the local community was a key objective for the proposed development.

&ldquo;We have worked carefully within the approved planning controls to design a building that optimises view sharing and sunlight access for our immediate neighbours,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;It is a unique and innovative design, generated directly from these key community issues. It has been very helpful consulting with the local community to understand their concerns and explain our design.&quot;

In their Design Concept submission to the local council, fjmt said they have developed an architectural response that draws from the character of a freshwater gully stream eroding its way through this place of ceremony, leaving behind a series of sandstone fissures and verdant landscapes.

&quot;The tower and podium forms of Hampden Street suggest horizontally stratified and eroded undercrofts typical of the sandstone escarpments of the Harbour and the subtropical gullies of the North Shore.

&quot;With the brick terraces of Walker Street offering sympathetic scale, structure and contemporary reference to the typologies of our post-colonial past.

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/173-179-walker-street-north-sydney"><img alt="" height="512" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2022-07-07_at_7.12.09_am.png" width="874" /></a>

&quot;The public domain and landscape design draw upon these references and details to establish a landscape of uncommon character and exceptional quality both for the residents and neighbours of the precinct.&quot;

Fjmt note the site is&nbsp;ideally located and structured for redevelopment as high density residential development as the wider North Sydney LGA is seeing a development boom in commercial and residential projects looking to leverage the state and local government investments in multiple public transport hubs for TfNSW Buses, Metro and Train networks.

&quot;The object site is but one within the LGA undergoing significant evolution in character and use and supported by the North Sydney Council strategic planning objectives.&quot;

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/173-179-walker-street-north-sydney"><img alt="" height="1068" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2022-07-07_at_7.59.18_am.png" width="1582" /></a>

The existing Walker Street frontage contains five&nbsp;residential buildings with two residential buildings located on the Hampden Street all of which are products from the early 1950&rsquo;s.

The natural designs flow through to the resident only main plaza, which will home 1200 sqm of landscaped space featuring extensive seating, a walking track, dry creek, sandstone terracing and retreat areas.

&quot;The site is envisioned as an urban oasis recreating the lush landscape that exists on site while celebrating&nbsp;the level changes and water as the feature the landscape sanctuary only for residents.&quot;

<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/173-179-walker-street-north-sydney"><img alt="" height="1118" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2022-07-07_at_7.11.53_am.png" width="2034" /></a>

Fjmt have made a conscious effort to make the building green, targeting a GreenStar rating for the Walker St project. It will be ran off electricity, with solar power supplementing demand.&nbsp;It will promote an active lifestyle, with a car share scheme.

The majority of the building, over 70 per cent, will be two and three-bedroom apartments.&nbsp;

Residents will&nbsp;have access to a wine library and adjoining wine storage space on the lower ground level, as well as bookable meeting space. The lobby is on the ground floor, where there&#39;s also a reading lounge space, a work from home business centre, and the building&#39;s concierge.

Traditional resident amenity is located on the fourth level. There will be a lap pool, gym, sauna, spa, a bookable dining room and function space, sun decks, and a barbecue area.

North Sydney is undergoing a construction boom in both residential and commercial development, which will all be aided by 19 key projects in the area delivered by government and private investment, representing an addition of more than 17,000 sqm of new parks and plazas.

Between Berry Street and the Pacific Highway, the closure of Miller Street gives room for a 7,450sqm public plaza outside the Victoria Cross metro station.

The new Walker Street project will home 189 apartments, a mix of studios through to four-bed apartments, as well as a handful of Walker Street Terraces

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