Newcastle Two-Tower Rethink Swaps Out Homes for Offices

A site at 711 Hunter Street in Newcastle’s West End is poised for another crack at a two-tower complex as a consortium fronted by DVLP4 exhibits a $120.5-million proposal.

Above a four-storey podium, the 31-storey, 191-apartment shoptop tower dubbed Waterscape would be joined by a 15-storey commercial building that already has a major tenant committed. The application proposes a design by Stewart Architecture and construction by BLOC, with development managed by DVLP4.

The 4724.3sq m site sits within the Steel City’s CBD, about 150km north of Sydney, and would yield 59 one-bedroom, 45 two-bedroom and 87 three-bedroom units for a total of 20,658sq m of residential gross floor area.

An earlier plan by the same applicant comprised two residential towers with 262 apartments at a cost of $119 million. However, a pre-commitment from NGM Group has prompted one of the towers to be replaced by an office block.

The new plan, currently on exhibition, would offer NGM 10,016sq m GFA of commercial space, and retail tenancies of 876sq m. Under that proposal, the project would reach a floor space ratio of 6.67:1. Two separate above-ground car parks will yield a total of 441 parking spaces for residential and commercial use.

▲ The initial design by Stewart Architecture included about 260 apartments, which has been reduced to 191 in the proposal on exhibition.

DVLP4 development director Gavin Edgar told The Urban Developer that the project had continued through council planning processes rather than attempt to secure the Housing Delivery Authority pathway in part due to the amicability of Newcastle City Council.

The concierge service provided by the city shows that “the council wants to encourage complex and large projects”, and the experience has “so far been good”, Edgar said.

“I just hope that council sees it as a positive opportunity to deliver housing for the city.”

Early works and the demolition of a vacant three-storey commercial building are now under way, and construction is expected to begin early this year once approval has been secured.

The site has been through a difficult development history, with St. Hilliers and Spotlight securing approval for a two-tower, 258-apartment residential scheme in 2023, which included 14,000sq m of commercial space. However, St. Hilliers’ insolvency in 2024 put an end to that plan, and the site was sold as a DA-approved prospect by Colliers in July that year.