North Sydney MLC Building Shifts to Uni Campus Scheme

The rollercoaster journey of the MLC Building may finally be reaching its finale as plans go on exhibition detailing its use as a university campus building.

Investa Property Group’s twists and turns for the historic tower at 105 Miller Street building, North Sydney have included plans for offices and build-to-rent residential uses. 

But the state significant development plans now on exhibition with the NSW Government outline the adaptive reuse of the historic post-war building and the construction of a tertiary education campus on the site. 

Investa wants to refurbish, alter and add to the B-Grade, 16-storey office, which has faced “substantial deterioration” over the past 67 years, affecting its structural integrity. 

The tower has been vacant since March of 2022, and has been described as “unable to meet tenant demands of the contemporary office market”.

The proposed development will refurbish the existing building rather than demolish it, to “preserve heritage characteristics”. 

The demolition and transformation of the Denison Street wing will increase the gross floor area, making the restoration of the Miller Street wing “financially viable” it said. 

▲ A rendering of the proposed development at 105-153 Miller Street.

A new 22-storey wing would be built in its place, comprising a ground-level retail and university hub spaces, and educational facilities above. 

A new core structure and the construction of a double-height ground-floor retail space are also detailed in the plans, as are refurbishments to accommodate tertiary institution spaces including new corridors between the wings.

Investa’s plans aim to deliver “state-of-the-art education facilities and modern learning environments that reflect the university’s strategic vision and meet contemporary teaching and research needs”.

The planning documents do not detail which university would take on the campus. Major tertiary players currently in North Sydney include  Australian Catholic University and Charles Sturt University.

▲ Fjc Studios is designing the Miller Street development.

“This project not only aims to protect the architectural heritage of 105 Miller Street, but also facilitates its long-term relevance and competitiveness by transforming the building into a world-class tertiary institution, in the centre of North Sydney CBD,” Investa’s environmental impact statement said.

The Mutual Life and Citizens (MLC) Assurance Building was built in 1957 and designed by Bates Smart & McCutcheon.

Due to material shortages after World War II, the building was constructed using lightweight steel and an advanced curtain wall facade, the first of its kind in Australia. 

In a six-year development process, Investa proposed demolition and the construction of a 27-storey tower in 2020, which was eventually dismissed after an appeal by the developer. 

▲ The modernist post-war international-style tower by architects Bates, Smart & McCutcheon has been vacant since 2022.

The Land and Environment Court upheld the council’s refusal to grant approval for the demolition on the basis of its heritage significance, even though it had not yet been listed on the heritage register at the time of lodgement.  

The developer then did a U-turn and suggested it be turned into build-to-rent apartments, although that was shortlived.

A development application in December of 2024 filed with North Sydney Council to deliver a commercial office scheme, and the current state significance DA are “similar in most regards” but has variations to reflect the difference in intended uses. 

The project has an estimated development cost of $354 million.