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The Urban Developer presents its Retail Property Development vSummit, a virtual conference focused on the dynamic Australian retail property sector.Amid the profound aftermath of the pandemic, landlords, building owners, developers and tenants have been compelled to adapt their strategies to navigate the evolving market landscape.Join us for engaging keynotes and insightful panel discussions, where industry experts will delve into the current state of the retail sector in Australia and provide valuable predictions for its future in 2023 and beyond.Discover the latest trends, emerging opportunities, and strategies to thrive in this rapidly changing environment.<a data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/8bP8PV?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" href="https://cvent.me/8bP8PV?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to register.</a> <hr>AGENDA<hr> KEYNOTE The Big Picture: The Changing Landscape of Retail An insightful keynote exploring the impact of economic factors and consumer behaviour on the retail property sector. Presenter: Gavin Duane - Director, Location IQ PRESENTATION Trends and Insights in Retail Sales, Leasing, and Development Activity in Australia Insights on capital transaction, retail leasing, and developer activity, defining past transactions, tenant-developer relationships, sector segments, state performance and future outlook.Presenter: Yosh Mendis - Head of Agency | Partner, Burgess Rawson PANEL Navigating Change: Strategic Portfolio Adjustments in Australia's Retail Property Sector Exploring how retail landlords in Australia are shaping their portfolios amid rapid transformations.Panelists:<ul><li>Briar Dowsett - Director, Real Estate Strategic Partnerships &amp; Mandates, QIC Real Estate</li><li>Ben Ellis - Chief Executive Officer, Retail, Charter Hall</li></ul> PRESENTATION Paying Attention: The New Commodity for a Changing World Hames Sharley presents research on capturing consumer attention in a post-COVID-19 world. Explore the competitive retail environment amidst consumer distractions and limited discretionary time.Presenter: Harold Perks - Director, Retail &amp; Town Centres Portfolio Leader, Hames Sharley CASE STUDY Developing a $15m Convenience Centre in Central NSW During a Pandemic A case-study presentation on how Spectrum Retail Group overcame pandemic-related challenges to deliver a $15m convenience retail centre in Robin Hill, Bathurst. Learn how they overcame construction cost escalations, material shortages, softening valuations, rising finance costs, and protracted approvals.Presenter: Julian Ackad - Managing Director, Spectrum Retail Group PANEL Driving Innovation in Retail Property Development Join a panel discussion featuring key representatives from SRL, Panthera Group, and Tipalea Partners, as they share their perspectives and expertise on driving innovation in retail property development.Panelists:<ul><li>Vivek Subramanian - Managing Director, SRL</li><li>Chakyl Camal - Chief Executive Officer, Panthera Group</li><li>Scott Spanton - Chief Executive Officer, Tipalea Partners</li></ul> <hr> The Urban Developer Retail Property Development vSummit will take place virtually on Thursday 22 June 2023. <a data-mce-href="https://cvent.me/8bP8PV?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" href="https://cvent.me/8bP8PV?rt=X_aufiJPxEeHOTaMYZfoiQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to learn more and register.</a>

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Melbourne-based Nikos Property Group has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the Broadmeadows Central shopping centre in its second such partnership with Australian Stock Exchange-listed Vicinity Centres.Nick Andrianakos, a Greek migrant who made his billion-dollar fortune from a parcel of petrol stations dating back to the mid-seventies, paid $134.5 million for the half share.The CBRE-brokered off-market deal follows a $138.2-million acquisition by Nikos of a half share in Vicinity’s Colonnades Shopping Centre in Adelaide about a year ago.Broadmeadows Central, about 19km north of central Melbourne, counts Kmart, Aldi, Coles and Woolworths supermarkets as well as a Hoyts Cinema among more than 115 stores within its 129,703 square metres.Under the latest deal with Nikos, Vicinity will continue to manage the shopping centre.CBRE’s head of Pacific retail capital markets Simon Rooney said the acquisition continued the trend of private investment groups, syndicates and, to a lesser extent, institutional investors taking out passive stakes in retail assets alongside institutional managers.<div id="7B7WxpkFR8Nw99jcOdpPLQ"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/52lZ7g0sBENol0UtdwG6PU/4ababfceab7c8c6a868f134098e133e7/Shopping_Centre_Mid.jpg" alt="A Kmart, Hoyts Cinema and three supermarkets are among more than 115 stores in the centre. " data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/52lZ7g0sBENol0UtdwG6PU/4ababfceab7c8c6a868f134098e133e7/Shopping_Centre_Mid.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A Kmart, Hoyts Cinema and three supermarkets are among more than 115 stores in the centre.</div><div> </div></div>“This allows institutional partners to reduce gearing and maximise the use of capital while maintaining management fee income,” he said.Rooney pointed to Telstra Super’s $120.5-million sale of a half stake in Sydney’s Carlingford Court to property investment managers JY Group as a further example.On the heels of the sale, Vicinity will now move to sell the adjoining Homemaker Centre in Broadmeadows.&nbsp;&nbsp;An expressions-of-interest campaign will begin next week for the 33,500-square-metre centre.In February this year, Vicinity and Salta Properties unveiled ambitious plans for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/vicinity-salta-victoria-gardens-richmond-melbourne-redevelopment" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/vicinity-salta-victoria-gardens-richmond-melbourne-redevelopment">$900-million redevelopment </a>of the 19-year-old Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre in Richmond, a move that promises to transform the fringe Melbourne neighbourhood.And a month earlier, Vicinity&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/vicinity-bankstown-central-stage-approved" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/vicinity-bankstown-central-stage-approved">moved a step closer&nbsp;</a>to its ambitious plans to transform the centre of Bankstown with the New South Wales government approving changes to allow increased building heights and floor space ratios.

Melbourne-based Nikos Property Group has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the Broadmeadows Central shopping centre in a second such partnership with Australian Stock Exchange-listed Vicinity Centres.

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“I’m often asked what keeps me up at night, and it’s the contractor risk and what’s going on with building prices. The reality is there are a lot of feasibilities that aren’t stacking up.”Speaking at The Urban Developer and MaxCap roundtable in Sydney recently, MaxCap chief investment officer Bill McWilliams succinctly expresses the concern etched across the furrowed brows of every developer sitting down for lunch.&nbsp;Nothing is off the table as some of New South Wales’ biggest developers across industrial, greenfield, office and residential talk shop and look for the blue skies on the horizon.&nbsp;<div id="31ZJ7R5ohDWUKDiej2HwS0"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/21iiu7ExQXLkwYo0jUaN8B/2e5c2622d8c040bd3875cab50cabe9dd/Bill_MID1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/21iiu7ExQXLkwYo0jUaN8B/2e5c2622d8c040bd3875cab50cabe9dd/Bill_MID1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ MaxCap chief investment officer says construction contractor risk is the main concern in the debt funding space. </div></div>But construction risk continues to dominate conversation. Integrated builder-developer Growthbuilt co-founder Colin Rahim is acutely aware of the challenges in the landscape. &nbsp;“I’ve been told it’s not going to rain for a while,” Rahim says as the room erupts in laughter.&nbsp;It’s gallows humour for an industry that has been pushed to its limits with a pandemic, unabated price escalations, labour shortages and more than 200 rain days in 2022.&nbsp;“We haven’t been immune to everything that’s happened over the past few years with Covid, price escalations, La Niña and what’s happening with planning. It’s taking so much longer for projects to get started, and that’s affecting pricing, ” Rahim says.&nbsp;“Three years ago formwork for example was $80 a square metre, we’re paying up to $140 to $160 per square metre today.<div id="5GMu8gKKpOLVMdM05oMy9s"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7zw2BmCS7BFdD97s3tnvwz/9208c763e6ba1ae1ac4155849598a94e/Colin_Rahim_MID2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7zw2BmCS7BFdD97s3tnvwz/9208c763e6ba1ae1ac4155849598a94e/Colin_Rahim_MID2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Growthbuilt co-founder Colin Rahim says the time involved in getting projects out of the ground is adding cost to the bottom line. </div></div>Rahim says builders are now more like “risk merchants” and are having to manage consultants and subcontractors harder in order to meet time frames. He says the Design and Building Practitioner Act, which was adopted in 2021 has added more time and costs into projects, impacting feasibility.&nbsp;“In the Class 2 space, builders are increasingly choosing not to participate. Contracts haven’t changed to reflect the additional regulation, which leaves contractors taking on a lot of the risk. We have made adjustments to our strategy to ensure we can weather the storm and that’s been very effective for us, but at a certain point that level of risk becomes non commercial.” he says.&nbsp;“There’s no doubt the DBP Act will improve quality throughout the industry, which was really needed, at Growthbuilt we have always aimed for, and achieved, high quality process and product. However, it has made the whole design process that we work through with our consultants so much longer and that adds enormous pressure to project timelines.”<div id="6rdTsEsOxotyCnB6dbu6dv"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6n8sqf3py8ngzDoTRBZjfj/2e93adf7875a8f494c4445c3fd6b625f/Justin_Brown_MID3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6n8sqf3py8ngzDoTRBZjfj/2e93adf7875a8f494c4445c3fd6b625f/Justin_Brown_MID3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Abadeen Group managing director Justin Brown says the luxury end of the residential market has remained robust. </div></div> Abadeen Group Managing Director Justin Brown agrees planning constraints and regulatory requirements are significantly adding to the costs and viability of projects.&nbsp;“I think the site market at the moment is a function of time versus price,” Brown says.“It now takes 2.5 years to get a project to construction versus 4 years ago being 12 to 18 months. &nbsp;“We are starting to see green shoots within the market, premium projects such as One Circular Quay in Sydney, Woollahra Collection in Woollahra, Helm’s new development in Mosman, are showing that the discerning Boomer market that isn’t reliant on debt is robust.”Legacy Property chief executive Matthew Hyder says the greenfield sector is no different when it comes to planning difficulties.&nbsp;“Rezonings have only gotten more challenging in recent years, particularly the amount of time required to be successful,” Hyder says. &nbsp;“We are 100 per cent focused on working with the best consultants, and it has still taken more than five years each to rezone sites in North Sydney, Penrith and Northern Wollongong. &nbsp;But it’s worth it because once you do, you have a tremendously valuable piece of land. You do get paid for it, but it’s hard, risky work.<div id="1lmxSlc52r9gNyzq6xB7sa"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6qDddrhyYUVz1nAzqIWvv1/82f2459a141689d16456698f6ca6410d/Matthew_Hyder_MID4.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6qDddrhyYUVz1nAzqIWvv1/82f2459a141689d16456698f6ca6410d/Matthew_Hyder_MID4.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Legacy Property chief executive Matthew Hyder says greenfield has also been impacted by planning constraints. </div></div>“In Greater Sydney, because the planning system is so challenging, I like the risk-reward trade. The riskiest part of development here is in planning when you have the least amount of money out the door.”MaxCap’s Bill McWilliams says he is seeing more tension between developers and builders on cost escalation in the current landscape.&nbsp;“I’m seeing builders locked into a fixed price contract maybe 18 months ago, and the reality is they cannot build it for what that fixed price is. So, in some instances, they will ask for more money, and good developers are acknowledging that,” McWilliams says.“The worst thing that can happen on any project is the builder falls over. So I think there’s a willingness to make that work, albeit developers profit margins have also been squeezed by increased funding costs, so the solution is not always straightforward.”&nbsp;McWilliams says due diligence with contractors has stepped up to mitigate risk and builders and contractors were more aware of that and providing more financial information. He is forecasting more development sites will come to market in the next 12 months but most developers would look to blue skies and hold their site through the current cycle.&nbsp;<div id="1RMMbvbmpBygxlG5pryE0s"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/75EJM1QzvH90CMI7axnI41/94a132baf2083257b7b1fc2b098ad54b/CEO_Roundtable_MID5.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/75EJM1QzvH90CMI7axnI41/94a132baf2083257b7b1fc2b098ad54b/CEO_Roundtable_MID5.jpg"></picture><div>▲ MaxCap head of research Bruce Wan brought data insights to the conversation. </div></div>MaxCap head of research Bruce Wan says the inflationary shock of fuel price rises materially impacted the cost of building materials, and as it unwinds over the next year it will flow back through the market.&nbsp;“We always see fuel prices tick up first, steel tends to follow and your other building components rise during an inflation shock. The same sort of thing applies as we pull back from this inflationary environment,” Wan says.&nbsp;“We have already seen fuel prices starting to fall 33 per cent from its peak last year, and it’s already found its way to steel prices. The rest of that transmission mechanism will take about a year to flow through. The unwind will take a year or two.&nbsp;“The good news is we’ve probably seen the peak. The bad news is discounting is going to work its way back into builder margins.”The Urban Developer and MaxCap Group hosted the roundtable in Sydney this month to tackle the issues impacting development in New South Wales and get a temperature check on the health of the sector.&nbsp; <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><a href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture><div> </div></div><a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans"></a><a href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></a>

Nothing was off the table as some of New South Wales’ biggest developers across industrial, greenfield, office and residential talked shop and looked for the blue skies on the horizon at The Urban Developer and MaxCap roundtable...

But construction risk continues to dominate conversation. Integrated builder-developer Growthbuilt co-founder Colin Rahim is acutely aware of the challenges in the landscape.  

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The John Curtin Hotel and other significant buildings in Carlton are one step closer to stronger heritage protection after the City of Melbourne council adopted the Carlton Heritage Review. At its meeting on Tuesday night, the council voted unanimously to endorse the independent planning panel’s recommendations and adopt <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/john-curtin-hotel-heritage-precinct-carlton-heritage-review-fmc" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/john-curtin-hotel-heritage-precinct-carlton-heritage-review-fmc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Carlton Heritage Review and Punt Road Oval Heritage Review</a>, which now form Amendment C405 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme. It will now go to Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny, who will make the final determination.“We have now done the Hoddle Grid heritage review, the North Melbourne heritage review, the South Yarra heritage review and Parkfield heritage review in recent meetings,”&nbsp;City of Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said.“This was part of a commitment to our community to ensure that we had an active agenda of addressing these issues across our municipality.”While 24 new properties will be added to the heritage overlay as part of this review, four will be removed as well as 41 category changes made and three small precincts created. One of those will be the Former Carlton Union Hotels Precinct at 1 to 31 Lygon Street, which will include the John Curtin Hotel at 27 Lygon Street; the former Dover Hotel at 1-7 Lygon Street; two shops at 9 and 13-15 Lygon Street; the former BLF office at 11 Lygon Street; and the former Australian Council of Trade Unions offices at 17-25 Lygon Street. In 2022, the John Curtin Hotel was sold to a private developer with <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/john-curtin-hotel-green-ban-construction-workers" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/john-curtin-hotel-green-ban-construction-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">union members and others in the community </a>concerned that the site would not be sufficiently protected from development.<a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/john-curtin-hotel-green-ban-construction-workers" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/john-curtin-hotel-green-ban-construction-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A green ban</a>, prohibiting construction workers from working on any development on the property, was proposed in May 2022.Green bans have been used in the past to save several of Melbourne’s heritage buildings from demolition or development before they could be listed and protected.The John Curtin Hotel has long been a gathering spot for trade union activists, politicians and musicians, and was one of the first places where First Nations musicians were allowed to perform. It is also being assessed as part of a separate process to determine if it can be considered to have state significance.<div id="5WotKlQ5gnuHfvLj98r27R"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/11OeTiDqQlXgRU7lvxcmeF/03820f6448a038f6255276f7d205dd28/john_curtin_hotel_story_mid_article_image.jpg" alt="Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, former opposition leader Bill Shorten and current Victorian premier sharing drinks to celebrate former PM Bob Hawke. Source: The John Curtin Hotel" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/11OeTiDqQlXgRU7lvxcmeF/03820f6448a038f6255276f7d205dd28/john_curtin_hotel_story_mid_article_image.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, former opposition leader Bill Shorten and current Victorian premier Daniel Andrews celebrate former PM Bob Hawke at the John Curtin Hotel. Source: The John Curtin Hotel </div></div>The recommendations from the independent planning panel said it could not be given social significance at the local government level.Lovell Chen’s Carlton Heritage Review November 2021 (updated February 2023) and GML Heritage’s Punt Road Oval Heritage Review 2021 (updated February 2023) reports were part of the independent planning panel’s consideration.&nbsp; Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas announced as part of the recent state Budget, an allocation of $2 million to, in part, help implement a planning overlay change that would better protect local live music venues.&nbsp;The City of Melbourne is undertaking heritage reviews to address a gap in local government level protections for interwar, post-war and post-modern period buildings which have been previously left off the heritage register and therefore had no protection. Most recently, The Tote hotel, at 67-71 Johnston Street in Collingwood was facing closure after previous owners Jon Perring and Sam Crupi decided to sell up after trying twice to save it.<div id="5RDtAJ48TlcfdUtjsqIylq"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6K4nYzrVGlig5lDIaPAct9/257e5cd0c6a3bab5b61e7aa61752589a/the_tote_hotel_.jpg" alt="Community members and music lovers have raised $3 million in a crowdfunding campaign organised by Shane Hilton and Leanne Chance to buy The Tote Hotel in Collingwood. " data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/6K4nYzrVGlig5lDIaPAct9/257e5cd0c6a3bab5b61e7aa61752589a/the_tote_hotel_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Community members and music lovers raised $3 million in a crowd-funding campaign organised by Shane Hilton and Leanne Chance to buy The Tote Hotel in Collingwood. </div></div>But a crowd-funded campaign called “Save the Tote” raised $3 million to help Shane Hilton and Leanne Chance buy The Tote and keep it operating as a live music venue. Hilton and Change also operate the Last Chance Rock and Roll Bar near the Queen Victoria Markets.&nbsp;The Carlton heritage review now goes to the Victorian planning minister for final approval.&nbsp;

The John Curtin Hotel gets more protection as it is rolled into a hotels precinct in City of Melbourne council’s adopted Carlton Heritage Review…


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In a shift to office projects, developer Bathla has filed plans for a 21-storey office tower on the outskirts of Blacktown’s CBD in New South Wales.The 1240sq m site at 30 First Avenue, Blacktown, in Western Sydney will boast an office tower with some retail if the City of Blacktown council and the Sydney Central City Planning Panel approve the application.Bathla’s plans for the tower include six basement levels to provide 155 carparking spaces.There will be 287sq m of gross floor area for retail use and 696sq m of space for function centres.Another 362.5sq m of space will be set aside for recreational facilities while the total office gross floor area will be 11995.6 square metres.The two retail tenancies and one of the offices will be on the ground floor with the entrance lobby for the rest of the office space.A bar and lounge, function centre, food preparation area and another office will be on the first floor.Two more function rooms, another bar and lounge and a kitchen will be on the second floor.The third floor will have a chiller room, changing rooms and office space.Floors 5-20 will each have office space and amenities with the layout changing slightly on certain floors.<div id="2MeGT3U3ylj6i8EB6vEqty"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/50JPKXCklDq0b3JkSrW6xv/a0f1185d103f56f092da0aa580e5004c/bathla_office_tower_blacktown_story_mid_article_image.jpg" alt="The office tower will have 21 storeys but also six basement levels for car parking." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/50JPKXCklDq0b3JkSrW6xv/a0f1185d103f56f092da0aa580e5004c/bathla_office_tower_blacktown_story_mid_article_image.jpg"></picture><div>▲ The office tower will have 21 storeys but also six basement levels for carparking. </div></div>According to documents submitted with the application, the entire project is estimated to cost $33.6 million.Bathla Investments Pty Ltd, the applicant for the project, is a venture between Universal Property Group Pty Ltd, Raj and Jai Construction Pty Ltd and Western Sydney Property Group Pty Ltd.&nbsp; Universal Property Group trades regularly as The Bathla Group.&nbsp;The project has been designed by Bathla with construction also expected to be carried out by the developer.CoreLogic’s property records list the site as being sold by First Ave Pty Ltd in September 2022 with settlement in December 2022 for $7.6 million.CBRE Western Sydney’s Alex Mirzaian handled the sale to Sneh and Samisha Pty Ltd.ASIC records show that Neetu Dawar and Suman Lata are the directors and shareholders of Sneh and Samisha Pty Ltd.Bathla has most recently filed an application for <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bathla-central-coast-masterplan-development-application" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bathla-central-coast-masterplan-development-application" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Central Coast masterplanned project with 400 apartments</a> but has also recently<a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bathla-austral-residential-development-application-sydney" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bathla-austral-residential-development-application-sydney" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> filed plans for a four-storey tower block in Western Sydney</a>.&nbsp;

The highly prolific developer has filed yet another project, this time an office tower, with the City of Blacktown council…


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Eight Parramatta Road sites have changed hands for a total of $41,805,000 as demand from retailers keen to expand their physical footprints ramps up post-pandemic.In the most recent deal, a piano company has snapped up a Clyde site at 35-37 Parramatta Road with plans to open a major showroom.CBRE’s Robert Dowdy negotiated the Clyde transaction plus the other recent sales amid heightened interest in high exposure, main road properties.“Many of these sites are coming to market for the first time in decades, with 35-37 Parramatta Road attracting more than 120 enquiries after being offered for sale for the first time in 20 years,” Dowdy said.The revitalisation of Parramatta Road and its positioning as one of Sydney’s major arterials has underpinned buyer interest, offering daily exposure to more than 30,000 cars, according to CBRE.This has attracted major national and international brand heavyweights including Costco, Havey Norman, Kmart, Bunnings Warehouse, Coco Republic and Fantastic Furniture.“Main road locations like Parramatta Road provide maximum brand exposure and owner-occupiers will pay a premium for that,” Dowdy said.“Despite Covid and online shopping becoming more prevalent, shoppers still want to touch and feel the products, whether it’s furniture, electronics, clothing, self-storage or fast food.”This was underlined by CBRE’s APAC Retail Flash survey, which reported 83 per cent of Australian respondents said they planned to open more stores this year, with just 8 per cent intending to decrease their network size.The survey also found that 61 per cent of the Australian respondents plan to improve their store locations, while one-third intend to increase the size of their footprints to build more experiential elements into their stores.<div id="67nB5SdxMy76x8sIgYqkC"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1ModICODtO23jOCAynuvHO/f30c1febd618bd636d40c329ca557ffd/Mid_article_resizes.png" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1ModICODtO23jOCAynuvHO/f30c1febd618bd636d40c329ca557ffd/Mid_article_resizes.png"></picture><div>▲ The recently sold site at 35-37 Parramatta Road, Clyde. </div></div>Dowdy said this was driving buyer interest in Parramatta Road opportunities, as long-time owners moved to capitalise on the benchmark sales prices being achieved.Other transactions in the past 12 months included:<ul><li>211-217 Parramatta Road, Auburn sold for $7,165,000</li><li>218-224 Parramatta Road, Auburn sold for $4,700,000</li><li>1 / 2 Parramatta Road, Clyde sold for $3,560,000</li><li>259-263 Parramatta Road, Auburn sold for $8,500,000</li><li>293 – 295 Parramatta Road, Auburn sold for $3,545,000</li><li>709-711 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt sold for $4,800,000</li><li>147 &amp; 149-151 Parramatta Road, Auburn sold for $4,775,000</li></ul>The next test of the market is Phil Gilbert Toyota’s 3174sq m site at 66-72 Parramatta Road.Robert Dowdy with John Hill &amp; Co’s Sam Hill are managing the sale via an expressions-of-interest campaign that is due to close on June 8.It was the first time the site had been offered for sale in 35 years, with the campaign expected to generate international buyer interest, Dowdy said.

Demand from retailers for a bricks-and-mortar presence on one of Sydney’s busiest roads has added up to hefty sales in recent months…

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Despite drone delivery technology soaring in recent years, most Australians still have a while to wait before dinner—or anything else on demand—is dropped at their doorstep.&nbsp;Although trials in some parts of the country are revolutionising the delivery and logistics space, red tape is keeping the tech grounded in our more built-up areas.Experts in the field believe our homes and businesses could be tailored to accommodate drones, similar to the integration of electric car charging stations, but adoption won’t be overnight.Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which is responsible for the safety regulation of aircraft including drones, estimates the number of domestic recreational drones at up to 2 million, meaning about 1 in 10 Australians have a drone.&nbsp;However, from January 2021, fines of up to $11,100 can be issued to anyone flying unregistered drones for commercial use.Brendan Gillen, director of Kapcher, a data acquisition company using 3D modelling and AI, says the drone paper trail required by CASA is arduous.“The laws we are held to by CASA have created a bottleneck in the industry,” he says.&nbsp;“Because CASA is a government body, it can’t really get enough cash behind it to bring it up to speed.&nbsp;<div id="4GAHvcT2DhvbYV9IWVM0ot"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5ee1ZY7hA0qvD3KJ2yioPz/ba2f1574ee03a5d05792872ab3cc41fd/3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5ee1ZY7hA0qvD3KJ2yioPz/ba2f1574ee03a5d05792872ab3cc41fd/3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Australian authorities are not keeping up with how fast the technology is evolving, the industry says. </div></div>“They’re trying to manage drones with laws created for manned and hybrid aircraft which means, basically, if you follow the letter of the law you can’t really fly drones anywhere.“There just isn’t enough funding in the drone space for how fast the technology’s going.&nbsp;“Within CBD locations you can’t fly a drone, it’s just an absolute no-go because it’s unsafe, according to CASA.”Gillen says that although Australia’s drone industry is progressing at a measured pace, other countries are “happy to push the boundaries”.Zipline, a US drone delivery company, is setting a high benchmark in Rwanda, Africa, where it has completed more than 540,000 commercial deliveries and served more than 3400 health centres by providing blood and other medical supplies to about 45 million people.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I think there are pros and cons to being very highly regulated as we are in Australia,” Gillen says.“While it does mean we follow the procedures, it also hinders the ability to try new things and innovate really quickly.&nbsp;“My opinion is you should fail fast. If it doesn't work, then we know and we don’t invest more money and more time than we need to.”<div id="1oh1dWb2HGoBUqW7MFZU1c"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3vX2i3tZO1fFEUuQiIRiFo/d921ad0bad05dfa6721295c872082d21/1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/3vX2i3tZO1fFEUuQiIRiFo/d921ad0bad05dfa6721295c872082d21/1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Wing general manager Simon Rossi. “In time we’ll be able to deliver to apartment buildings.” </div></div>Given the restrictions around operating drones in cities, businesses such as on-demand drone delivery service Wing are piloting programs in spacious suburbia.&nbsp;Wing’s latest partnerships are with retail brands such as Coles and Doordash, along with developer Mirvac, to get groceries and takeaway meals to people’s doors.Recently, Mirvac’s Orion Springfield Central shopping centre in Queensland’s Ipswich started using Wing’s delivery drones to provide food and essentials to surrounding communities.&nbsp;Wing general manager Simon Rossi, said the operation was unique for Australia.“We’re really focused on suburban areas right now, places where there are more houses and a little more space,” he says.“We think in time we’ll be able to deliver to apartment buildings and the like but, at this stage, we’re really focused on single family homes that are probably more suitable.”The drone industry has the potential to increase Australia’s GDP by $14.5 billion by 2040, according to Deloitte Access Economics. Drones and other emerging aviation technologies are projected to create up to 10,000 jobs over the next 20 years.Analysis from Accenture revealed an uptick in drone usage could eventually reduce traffic congestion by 2 billion vehicle kilometres, of which 1.2 billion will be from main arterial roads.<div id="7q0yh5Ds0xF0NLB7ZUra5D"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1SY0cFUu8Xx63o7lWEiMME/ad9188187d97fa33cdce39f240da85c5/2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1SY0cFUu8Xx63o7lWEiMME/ad9188187d97fa33cdce39f240da85c5/2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Doordash and Wing are trialling home drone deliveries in limited locations. </div></div>This reduction could result in 320 fewer serious accidents a year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 238,000 tonnes—equivalent to the carbon storage of more than seven million trees.Rossi says the luxury of space in suburbia means safety can be more accurately guaranteed.&nbsp;Secure shopping centre rooftops or upper-level carparks are housing drone “nests” and the aircraft remain 6m to 7m from the public during delivery.“Once we’ve collected the order from the shop or restaurant, we take it up to the drone which will then take off vertically to a height of about 7m where it hovers,” he says.&nbsp;“It lowers a tether and the item in a specially designed box is attached to the tether, which then retracts up and locks itself into the drone.&nbsp;“The drone will ascend to about 70m and travel at around 110km/h to the customer.“As it gets to the customer, the drone will lower itself, slowly lower the parcel by the tether to the ground and release the parcel.&nbsp;“Then the tether retracts into the aircraft and it flies back to its drone base or ‘nest’.”<div id="3pFvdgxXlPH543psaZjLEB"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/21y7OWKmiXo6BvziGQIaEx/a96eda5eae2797f0983c6791a4d34a26/4.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/21y7OWKmiXo6BvziGQIaEx/a96eda5eae2797f0983c6791a4d34a26/4.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Paying attention: Mirvac chief digital officer William Payne. </div></div>He says that any address with an open area in a front or backyard, or even a driveway, could accommodate a drone delivery.“As long as there’s a space of about the size of a picnic blanket then the drone will fly to that location,” Rossi says.Mirvac chief digital officer William Payne says the reality of drone technology is being carefully considered by the developer.“The future-proofing of Mirvac’s buildings and ongoing maintenance is critical, so we are always looking at ways we can improve processes and create efficiencies without compromising on quality,” he says.“Technology in all its forms plays a major role here. There are numerous applications for autonomous and semi-autonomous drone and robotic platforms, many of which focus on safety and quality control,” adding that Mirvac employs drones for inspecting and tracking the progress of its masterplanned community developments for maintenance, quality assurance and customer updates.&nbsp;“While the use of drones won’t immediately change the design of buildings, the technology will be used more and more to augment current development models.&nbsp;“Looking further into the future for example, it is possible we will see buildings and precincts designed with both drone delivery and personal transportation in mind.” <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals.<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans"> Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

Red tape may be tangling drone deliveries right now, but the industry has been warned it must cater for the coming aerial revolution or be left behind…

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The Urban Developer is delighted to announce the finalists for our Awards for Industry Excellence in 2023.The sixth annual awards, in association with Trilogy Funds, recognises standout property industry performers from across Australasia.Submissions this year are again of the highest standard, reflecting the quality and calibre of the industry in Australia and New Zealand.We look forward to celebrating the success stories of the year when the winners are announced on August 30 at a black-tie gala night on the Gold Coast. Finalists and partners will be notified when tickets are available.Congratulations to all our finalists. <hr><h2> Development of the Year - New Communities</h2> The Fabric by Mirvac Nominated by MirvacVista Park Nominated by SheargoldRedbank North Richmond Nominated by Redbank CommunitiesSilverwoods Golf and Lifestyle Resort Nominated by Lotus LivingHarriott Armstrong Creek Nominated by JindingSponsored by OpenLot <hr><h2> Development of the Year - High-Density Residential&nbsp;</h2> Luminare Nominated by Cavcorp Qld Pty LtdNightingale Village Nominated by Nightingale Housing and Architecture architecture and Austin Maynard Architects and Breathe and Clare Cousins Architects and Hayball and Kennedy NolanRivière by Aria Nominated by Aria Property GroupThe Langston, Epping Nominated by Cbus PropertyCowper Residences Nominated by ClarkeHopkinsClarkeHighline Westmead, by Deicorp Nominated by Deicorp Pty LtdThe Patterson by Mosaic Nominated by Mosaic Property GroupSponsored by Downsizer <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Urban Regeneration&nbsp;</h2> Jubilee Hotel Nominated by Rohrig QldC&amp;L Residences, Lyf on Oxford, Pincho Disco, Orlo &amp; Office Nominated by Urban Pty LtdWalyalup Koort - Urban Renewal of Fremantle Town Centre, Fremantle, WA Nominated by Sirona Urban &amp; City of FremantleMorris Moor Nominated by Up Property <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Build-to-Rent, Hotels and Accommodation</h2> QT Hotel Newcastle Nominated by Iris Capital with SJB and Nic Graham and AssociatesMotel Molly Nominated by Knox GroupOxford House Nominated by Public Design StudioInterContinental Hotel Sydney Nominated by BuiltLIV Munro Nominated by MirvacHome Richmond Nominated by HomeLyf on Oxford - Hotel and Accommodation Nominated by Urban Pty LtdSponsored by Temple &amp; Webster <hr><h2> Development of the Year – Retail</h2> Ed.Square Town Centre Nominated by Frasers Property AustraliaCarmel Village, Box Hill Nominated by GroupGSASponsored by Retail Strategy Group <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Medium-Density Residential&nbsp;</h2> Huntington Nominated by DOMA Group &amp; SJBBelle Parc Residences Nominated by WBG Property and MJA StudioTopaz Parkdale Nominated by Lowe LivingFerrars &amp; York Nominated by HIP V. HYPECabana Palm Beach Nominated by Ignite ProjectsFORME, Apartments of Tullamore by Mirvac Nominated by MirvacSponsored by Trilogy Funds <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Small-Scale Residential (4-20)&nbsp;</h2> Beach House Broadbeach Nominated by Andrews ProjectsThe Isles, by Made Property Nominated by Made PropertyRondure House Nominated by Cera Stribley and Above ZeroThe One Nominated by LuxconPark Terraces Nominated by Celsius Developments and Hillam Architects388 Barkly Street Nominated by DREAMER with Breathe ArchitectureFifty Two Black Nominated by PB&amp;Co.Maison New Farm Nominated by GRAYAMerriPark, Northcote Nominated by PACASASlate House Brighton Nominated by Lucent™Sponsored by Trilogy Funds <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Small-Scale Residential (1-3)&nbsp; </h2>Oasian Duo Nominated by Kyearn ArchitectureMerewether Residences Nominated by PARVIAAsana by Omira Property Group Nominated by Omira Property Group <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Mixed Use</h2>Ed.Square Nominated by Frasers Property AustraliaWestern Sydney University- Bankstown Campus Nominated by Walker Corporation and Western Sydney UniversityUkiyo, Prahran Nominated by K2LD Architects Pty Ltd and Chapter GroupThe Continental Sorrento Nominated by Urban Pty LtdJonson Lane Nominated by JD Property Group&nbsp;Walyalup Koort - Town Centre &amp; FOMO Retail Precinct, Fremantle, WA Nominated by Sirona Urban &amp; City of Fremantle <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Commercial</h2> Michael Hill HQ Nominated by Anthony John GroupQuay Quarter Tower Nominated by Dexus Wholesale Property Fund (DWPF), Mirvac Wholesale Office Fund (MWOF) and Rest Super655 Elizabeth Street Nominated by PDG and Roberts Co6&amp;8 Parramatta Square Nominated by Walker CorporationWurriki Nyal&nbsp; Nominated by Quintessential EquityGoldfields House Nominated by GoldfieldsSponsored by Altus Group &nbsp;<hr><h2> Development of the Year - Retirement, Aged Care and Seniors Living&nbsp;</h2> Pavilions Blackburn Lake Nominated by VIA Pty LtdThe Balmoral Collection, Mosman Nominated by Central ElementEuropa on Alma Nominated by Bolton Clarke <hr><h2> Development of the Year - Social Infrastructure</h2> Western Sydney University - Bankstown Campus Nominated by Walker Corporation and Western Sydney UniversityThe Victorian Heart Hospital Nominated by John Holland and AECOMThe Bond Nominated by MulphaSDA By Project Friday Carnegie Nominated by Project FridayBrighton Homes Arena Nominated by Brisbane Lions, COHA Group, Hutchinson Builders and PopulousNew Epping Stage 1 Residences Nominated by Riverlee <hr><h2> Excellence in Sustainability</h2> Nightingale Village Nominated by Nightingale Housing and Architecture architecture and Austin Maynard Architects and Breathe and Clare Cousins Architects and Hayball and Kennedy Nolan6&amp;8 Parramatta Square Nominated by Walker CorporationFerrars &amp; York Nominated by HIP V. HYPEPHIVE Parramatta Square Nominated by BuiltWurriki Nyal&nbsp; Nominated by Quintessential EquityWaverley Park Green Star Home by Mirvac Nominated by MirvacSponsored by NBN Co <hr><h2> Excellence in Industry Leadership&nbsp;</h2> Mixed Tenure Delivery Model Nominated by Traders In PurpleThe Central Project Nominated by TOGA GroupUnlocking Sustainable Strata Nominated by The Knight, HIP V. HYPE, Merri-bek City Council, Yarra City CouncilWhen Three Tiers of Government and HousingFirst Teamed Up to Build 46 Social Homes and Hide a Carpark Nominated by HousingFirst LtdSponsored by ID_Land <hr><h2> Excellence in Design Innovation&nbsp;</h2>TLC Healthcare Delivers Australia’s First Multigenerational Healthcare Precinct Nominated by TLC Healthcare222 Hoddle Nominated by Hirsch &amp; Faigen x ArchitectusViridi Nominated by Plus ArchitectureNightingale Village Nominated by Nightingale Housing and Architecture architecture and Austin Maynard Architects and Breathe and Clare Cousins Architects and Hayball and Kennedy NolanDelatite Cellar Door Nominated by Lucy Clemenger ArchitectsFifty Two Black Nominated by PB&amp;Co.Poly Centre, 210 George Street Nominated by Grimshaw Architects Strathnairn - Ginninderry’s First All-electric Suburb Nominated by Riverview Projects West Side Place Nominated by Cottee Parker <hr><h2> Excellence in Community Engagement&nbsp;</h2> ALAND Community Initiative – Campbelltown Hoarding Nominated by ALANDGrosvenor Place Nominated by 151 Property and ArcadiaBETA By STH BNK Nominated by BeulahReLove Crate of Kindness - 480 Swan Street Nominated by Built and Charter HallBurnham Beeches Nominated by Trenerry Property Group, Village Well, Sophie Paterson (Nicholas), Papermill AgencyThe Keyline - Redbank Communities Nominated by Redbank CommunitiesMPavilion 2022 Nominated by MPavilionTransformation House Nominated by Mirvac <hr><h2> Excellence in Construction Innovation&nbsp;</h2> Sunshine Private Hospital Nominated by BuiltNATURA Nominated by ROMECITIDLP Manager Nominated by DLP ManagerHeritage Lanes, 80 Ann Nominated by Mirvac and M&amp;G Real EstateDesignSuites by GPT Nominated by The GPT GroupSponsored by BCI <hr><h2> Excellence in Project Marketing&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2> Waterfront Brisbane Nominated by DexusDomaine Homes - Build Happy Nominated by Frost*collectiveHemingway Nominated by Hirsch &amp; FaigenThe Frederick by Mirvac Nominated by MirvacLouise Melbourne Nominated by Samuel Property / Studio White Noise / Blair Property GroupOde, Double Bay Nominated by Top Spring AustraliaEthos Chatswood Nominated by Central Element in collaboration with HoyneAURA by Aqualand Nominated by AqualandSponsored by The Boundary <hr><h2> Excellence in Marketing Innovation</h2>Northsea Wollongong Nominated by Traders In PurpleWest End Revitalisation Project - Retail Kickstarter Grant Nominated by Studio Perspective, To Good Use and Trenerry PropertyESR Australia Agents Recognition Program Brand Development &amp; Loyalty Program Launch Nominated by ESR Australia &amp; Creative &amp; Digital Agency, Thursday DesignNicholas Street Precinct Nominated by Nicholas Street Precinct and Ipswich City CouncilWaterfront Brisbane App Nominated by DexusTrielle by Mirvac Display Galleria Nominated by MirvacSponsored by Volume Vision <hr><h2> Excellence in Commercial Innovation&nbsp;</h2>TEAMLINK Nominated by TEAMLINKWestern Sydney University- Bankstown Campus Nominated by Walker Corporation and Western Sydney UniversityWurriki Nyal Excellence in Commercial Innovation Nominated by Quintessential EquityDesignSuites by GPT Nominated by The GPT GroupSponsored by NBN Co <hr><h2> Best New PropTech&nbsp;</h2>Neuron Nominated by NeuronCoposit Nominated by Copositpropella.civic Nominated by propella.aiMastt Software - Project: Australian Unity SDA Fund Nominated by MasttDIYBA Nominated by The Investors Agency &amp; DIYBAThe Neighbourlytics Platform Nominated by NeighbourlyticsLand iQ - Standardised Land Use Evaluation Tool Nominated by NSW Department of Planning and EnvironmentKeyvision - Prop Tech and Community Management Platform Nominated by Keyvision Downsizer Nominated by Block Builder Pty Ltd <hr><h2> The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Award for Decarbonisation in Real Estate Development of the Year - New Communities</h2> Nightingale Village Nominated by Nightingale Housing and Architecture architecture and Austin Maynard Architects and Breathe and Clare Cousins Architects and Hayball and Kennedy NolanFerrars &amp; York Nominated by HIP V. HYPEDesignSuites by GPT Nominated by The GPT Group <hr> See all of the finalists online at our dedicated The Urban Developer Awards of Industry Excellence website <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/the-urban-developer-awards-2023-finalists" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/the-urban-developer-awards-2023-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. <hr><h2 style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"> Award sponsors </h2><div id="17gFRvtcYnhKlrsQEkmEVG"><div id="6u5huKGux6Hj5rnA5skElK"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/72BT9r7kGxRtwBp6hGpcDM/bb1efaefd1d19cfc9462a7ed8a8dd713/Copy_of_SUPPORTER_PARTNERS__1200___600px___3_.png" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/72BT9r7kGxRtwBp6hGpcDM/bb1efaefd1d19cfc9462a7ed8a8dd713/Copy_of_SUPPORTER_PARTNERS__1200___600px___3_.png"></picture><div> </div></div> <div> </div></div>

The Urban Developer is delighted to announce the finalists for our Awards for Industry Excellence in 2023. See the full list…

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New digital modelling tools, including AI-assisted design, are offering architects and developers faster and cheaper methods of achieving innovative buildings.But the craft of traditional scale model-making is still an essential component of the architect’s skillset, proponents say.Anycie Barakat, head of generative design at Archistar, told The Urban Developer that automating parts of the modelling process “is a game-changer”.Archistar’s platform combines mapping technology with datasets covering every planning regime in Australia, as well as built-in generative design capabilities. Planners and developers can use it to find suitable sites quickly, and spit out a variety of automated designs to fit a set of parameters.“Instead of just creating one building that complies with a certain set of rules, we create multiple buildings. And depending on how big the site is, that could be hundreds or thousands,” Barakat said.“You can start analysing what’s currently around in this area, what kind of building designs that have been approved, and build those strategies into the system. So you can extend and really speed up that initial design process.”The generative designs are concept stage, rather than final plans. Barakat says that developers and real estate agents are particularly excited about these tools, which allow them to get a rough estimate of what architects could possibly do.&nbsp;<div id="3JEQe3e4MdZoshc8coCp7S"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/8cFS3VSWTYj6KH2iu0xE5/becf6729ccd0d5aedf464ea6e7f72337/4.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/8cFS3VSWTYj6KH2iu0xE5/becf6729ccd0d5aedf464ea6e7f72337/4.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Anycie Barakat, head of generative design at Archistar. </div></div>Meanwhile, more polished digital 3D models can be used to communicate with clients what finished interiors will look like.Dr Tuan Nguyen of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences agrees that digital modelling technologies can be used for the same design and communication purposes as traditional scale models, of which the Powerhouse has an extensive collection.“We have several models of the Sydney Opera House, including a copy of the architect Jørn Utzon’s first model, a cross-sectional model that shows Utzon’s unbuilt interior design, a wooden model used for wind-tunnel testing, a model illustrating the roof geometry based on a sphere, and a finely detailed presentation model that was displayed for many years at the Opera House itself,” Nguyen says.&nbsp;“They show that designs shown in models are not always realised, that their purpose runs the gamut from utilitarian to polished display models, and that models document the first to final stages in the design process.“3D printing and CAD are the drafting table of today, allowing designers to iterate their designs rapidly. At the same time, models continue to have the promotional, persuasive and pedagogical power that they have always had.”<h2>Traditional modelling ‘still necessary’</h2> David Jaggers, of architects Durbach Block Jaggers, says that world-leading studios such as Rem Koolhaas, SANAA, or BIG, have “acres of models in their offices”.“Models play a huge part in how all of those practices work … I think it’s because you can’t really push the envelope of what architecture is without a [physical] model.&nbsp;“It’s such an important tool to experiment with space.”While DBJ embraces digital tools for design and modelling, Jaggers says that the firm has a strong tradition of hand-cut balsa models as a core element of its design practice.<div id="1Ml2XDm0SLPul7P8PiMYch"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7yc9dgtgISbWvgsgJblnrF/82b48d28b0f8f97c534d3beb1227be67/2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7yc9dgtgISbWvgsgJblnrF/82b48d28b0f8f97c534d3beb1227be67/2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Acres of models: David Jaggers, of architects Durbach Block Jaggers, and a model by Kinkfab. </div></div>“I think the big difference is: we don’t jettison the tool. Maybe some practice has moved into [digital modelling] and thinks that you don’t need the traditional model-making in the back end.“But we see that, from a design point of view, it’s still crucial…In the making of a model, the design develops.“When you’re modelling on the computer, there’s a sort of neutralisation that occurs with the light levels and the materiality of things.&nbsp;“And things can look quite seductive in a digital model, everything kind of looks okay, whereas with a physical model, you’re actually having to resolve how the elements of a building go together.&nbsp;“That’s one of the big tasks of an architect, particularly if you’re trying to experiment with space.”<h2>Robots not ready to replace architects</h2> Physical models from hand-cut to 3D-printed will continue to play a role in architectural practice, particularly as many councils require them as a component of a DA.“I don’t think this skillset has been lost,” Nguyen tells The Urban Developer.&nbsp;“In terms of the number of practitioners, you might see its role as diminished but the capabilities have not been lost. It is typical for architectural and design students to still produce models.”<div id="68eig3nbHcvzsTgwqIDhCp"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4tVpGwMtGNXmMRqDPVRop4/84653834b10e1ba850ffb0ab0567ce31/Mid_article_resizes__14_.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/4tVpGwMtGNXmMRqDPVRop4/84653834b10e1ba850ffb0ab0567ce31/Mid_article_resizes__14_.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Dr Tuan Nguyen of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and a cutaway model of the Sydney Opera House from the Powerhouse collection. </div></div>Barakat says cutting-edge apps such as&nbsp; ChatGPT are making AI available to everyone, but more advanced tools require a user who knows the field.&nbsp;Generative designers have to understand what’s being fed into the program, and must interpret and validate the outputs.&nbsp;“You have to know what to ask it, and you need to roughly expect what you’ll get out of it, to use [AI tools] well,” Barakat said.Rather than replacing architects, Barakat says, Archistar is speeding up and expanding some elements of their work. In a tight labour market, digital modelling can save time and costs.Jaggers argues that iterative design moves between modes, and that the process of translating physical to digital models, or vice versa, can help progress the plan.&nbsp;“You’re the most in touch with the development, the design, when you’re the one making the model, because you’re the one interpreting strategy, or the sketch, or the 3D computer model into the design,” Jaggers said.&nbsp;“It’s a sort of privilege to be the one who gets to make the models, in some ways.” <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a>

Digital modelling can speed up planning and sell a project, but traditional
model-making isn’t going anywhere…

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One of Australia’s biggest builders is helping the city council put Liverpool on the map, completing the first stage of the city’s $600-million civic centre.&nbsp;Built is the developer and builder of the Liverpool City Centre in partnership with the Liverpool City Council. Development director Jono Cottee said it was a “unique journey”.No stranger to building city centres, Built was instrumental in the delivery of Parramatta Square.“The view up there is pretty interesting, looking back over to Sydney and Parramatta. There’s nothing really like that in Liverpool,” Cottee said.“The council’s chambers burnt down in 2010 and they’ve had this long-term vision of building new chambers, a public library and council offices.”Cottee said the joint venture was the first of its kind that Built had undertaken and they were hoping to break ground on the next phase of the project, a 20,500sq m commercial building and an 80-room hotel, in 2024.&nbsp;“That’s going to be tenant-driven,” he said.&nbsp;“This development is going to put Liverpool on the map. It’s strategically located between two airports and we are in discussions with businesses about relocating to Liverpool and creating internal spaces that would accommodate non-traditional businesses.<div id="6QLWRUmpqhL37pWBnKzZYo"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2QOYMmPJcBPIyZSIgzIL2/34d23ccd6361bec71182ba17f67a59fd/Built_Liverpool_MID.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2QOYMmPJcBPIyZSIgzIL2/34d23ccd6361bec71182ba17f67a59fd/Built_Liverpool_MID.jpg"></picture><div>▲ Built is hoping to break ground on the second stage of Liverpool Civic Centre next year. </div></div> “There is a first mover advantage for a range of business and knowledge-based industries such as health and education, that will be first to attract and retain Liverpool's globally skilled and highly-educated workforce.”The fjcstudion-designed precinct will create Sydney’s newest public square in its third CBD that would provide a focal point for multicultural festivals and community activities, reflecting the city’s diverse community.&nbsp;Liverpool mayor Ned Mannoun said the city was emerging as an economic powerhouse and that Sydney’s third CBD had driven $13 billion in transport and infrastructure investment into the city.“South West Sydney is one of Sydney’s fastest growing districts and the opening of the Western Sydney International Airport and Aerotropolis has catalysed investment in a wide range of knowledge-intensive industries that will also generate significant employment and economic opportunities for the south-west region,” Mannoun said.“Liverpool will be at the centre of this growth and will strategically connect businesses from east to west. It will also be home to one of the city’s fastest growing and most inclusive populations which is expected to double to half a million people in the next 20 years.”

One of Australia’s biggest builders is helping the local council put Liverpool on the map, completing the first stage of the $600-million Liverpool Civic Centre...

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It has been billed as Australia’s most resilient residential market, with developers and investment piling in and the nation’s seventh biggest city welcoming a record number of citizens this year.But Newcastle’s boom has nothing to do with its long association with coal mining. It’s all about population growth, according to Ray White’s head of commercial research, Vanessa Rader.&nbsp;“The housing affordability of the region has not gone unnoticed as well as the lifestyle benefits and access still to Sydney,” Rader says.“Investment in infrastructure across the region has made Newcastle a stand-alone region for people to live, work and play, not a commuter town with limited prospects.”If it maintains its current growth trajectory, Newcastle’s population is expected to tip over 200,000 by 2041.&nbsp;But it’s not all roses.&nbsp;“Demand to purchase will be slow this year (as it is across most areas) given interest rate increases which has dampened investment activity for the remainder of this year,” Rader says.“Construction of new stock will also slow given rising finance costs and high construction costs. &nbsp;“The office market may continue to have take-up, albeit at a limited rate like most other office markets. Opportunities will stem from the services industries which may prop up retail assets given the growth in population, similarly medical, childcare will see an uptick in demand.”<div id="7lGThJQcjj5ZrMxIEs1ruC"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7ugdVjB1qbm1foML771HV9/66a87bfef2ac11576f4c844cc236a210/1.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7ugdVjB1qbm1foML771HV9/66a87bfef2ac11576f4c844cc236a210/1.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of Iris Capital’s $1-billion East End Village. </div></div>Yet the Newcastle market remains robust.&nbsp;Bucking the slowdown, Urban Activation Group has netted more than $50 million in sales in just a month on Iris Capital’s $1-billion <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/newcastle-s-east-end-final-stage-designs-revealed" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/newcastle-s-east-end-final-stage-designs-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East End Village</a> project, with Iris Capital chief executive Sam Arnaout announcing the fast-track of the final stages of the project.&nbsp;Urban Activation Group director of sales Matt George said the market was firing and most of his team were now based in the regional city.&nbsp;“The Iris Capital project is an unique offering,” George says.“He [Arnaout] is building a landmark that he wants—the detail in these buildings is extraordinary and the architecture is really impressive.&nbsp;“Newcastle has had a huge amount of infrastructure spending over the past five years and with the rail network to Sydney the fundamentals are strong.”The strong sales data supports the longer-term view that Newcastle and the Hunter Valley are among the strongest residential property markets in Australia at the moment. George says local-buyer interest has predominantly led the sales with downsizers from regional properties moving into town.&nbsp;<div id="1K7AFm8qwCTJIDWmRQ6Puw"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1vbd5OJARtWPMGxafKrhyl/d9037a050255c3d74e4a604edbca44c7/2.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1vbd5OJARtWPMGxafKrhyl/d9037a050255c3d74e4a604edbca44c7/2.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of The Merewether by Sydney-based Thirdi. </div></div>Iris Capital is among a number of high-calibre developers who are reshaping the regional city from east to west, including Sydney-based developers Thirdi and WINIM, and Canberra-based Doma Group.&nbsp;Thirdi co-founder Luke Berry says investment in local infrastructure is boosting the attraction for people moving to Newcastle.“Dairy Farmers Towers and The Merewether are sitting at close to 80 per cent sold,” Berry says.“Being only an hour and a half up the highway from Sydney, we have had a lot of buyers purchase in Newcastle since Covid as they may only have to be at the Sydney office one or two days a week. They not only get more for their money in Newcastle, they also get the amazing lifestyle that comes with it.”Thirdi has been developing in Newcastle for 15 years but Berry says the buyer profile has shifted significantly over that time.&nbsp;“Owner-occupiers and investors alike are craving generously sized properties and a level of finish that has previously been unavailable in the region.&nbsp;“In our <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/thirdi-newcastle-dairy-towers-nsw-work-under-way" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/thirdi-newcastle-dairy-towers-nsw-work-under-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dairy Farmers Towers </a>and Merewether Residences projects, never before has it been more important to ensure floor plates are overly generous and that all living spaces have been fully rationalised as well as the inclusion of high end finishes.“Dairy Farmers is under construction and The Merewether is close to commencing. Newcastle is a desirable city to live and work in, the migration from Sydney due to Covid has helped the city boom and it will continue to grow.”Another strong proponent of the future of Newcastle is WINIM joint managing director Justin Kuiters. The developer bought up the Newcastle Beach Hotel last year, nestled on the headland between Nobby’s and Newcastle beaches.Kuiters said WINIM had long been dedicated to Newcastle. The developer recently sold a retail asset and is working with the council on <a data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/developer-scoops-up-newcastle-hotel-in-top-spot" href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/developer-scoops-up-newcastle-hotel-in-top-spot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repositioning the Newcastle Beach Hotel </a>as a boutique luxury hotel and residential mixed-use development.&nbsp;“Our confidence in Newcastle as one of our preferred regional hotspots, even in the face of the Covid-19 impact, is rooted in extensive research and the fact that Newcastle has sound property and growth fundamentals,” Kuiters says. &nbsp;<div id="11IQIB7K8viWzQlzVctx0q"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/fzsfAHkSwLAZUB0gdhiT1/293902ce576f6e5f6c6f73ca22d3791f/3.jpg" alt="null" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/fzsfAHkSwLAZUB0gdhiT1/293902ce576f6e5f6c6f73ca22d3791f/3.jpg"></picture><div>▲ WINIM is repositioning the Newcastle Beach Hotel as a boutique luxury hotel and residential development.&nbsp; </div></div>Kuiters says the city’s economic fortunes are tied to key industry sectors, including agriculture, mining and tourism, while the city’s CBD is experiencing strong growth in prime and subprime office markets.The city is also undergoing a masterplanned transformation of a 50ha former industrial parcel of land at Honeysuckle into an entertainment, tourism and recreation hub at the edge of Newcastle Harbour.&nbsp;“The city has strong market and industry fundamentals and the early masterplanning undertaken over the last decade has put the city in prime position for growth and regeneration,” he says.“Add to this, a surge in demand in regional areas during and after Covid as well as the extensive development activity on the honeysuckle foreshore has further fuelled opportunities for the city. There are now strong values being realised and more investment being targeted for the city, and WINIM has future plans to grow there.”The developer is hoping to receive approval for its repositioning of the run-down Newcastle Beach Hotel in June, with works planned for later this year.Doma Group has been given the green light to build its two-tower residential development on the historic former Store buildings site in Newcastle’s West End. The Store Residences will be the final stage of the $350-million transformation of the 8743sq m site at 854 Hunter Street.The city is also in line for a $100-million investment in Port of Newcastle as a green hydrogen hub, with funding for feasibility studies, detailed designs and early works.&nbsp; <hr> You are currently experiencing The Urban Developer Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans">Click here to learn more.</a><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

It has been billed as Australia’s most resilient residential market, with developers and investment piling in and the nation’s 7th biggest city welcoming a record number of citizens recently...

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Work is under way on what has been called the largest basement in the City of Melbourne.The 5½ basement levels and early works for CBUS Property’s 435 Bourke Street project are now under construction by builder Kapitol Group.CBUS Property is building a 48-storey office tower at the amalgamated sitre of nearly 3000sq m at 435 Bourke Street in the heart of the city.Bates Smart Architects designed the plans, which include a solar skin facade with bifacial solar leaves that will generate 20 per cent of the tower’s energy needs.&nbsp;There will be 60,000sq m of premium commercial office space, 1300sq m of retail space, 116 carparking spaces, a sky garden and several terraces.&nbsp;According to BCI records, a five-storey sports and recreation facility is also part of the project as are 56 showers and changerooms, and 585 bicycle storage spaces.Buildings at 423 Bourke Street, 140 and 105 Queen Street, and 27 McKillop Street were demolished as part of the project.It is expected to provide office space for more than 5500 workers.The tower will achieve net-zero carbon during operation with the remaining 80 per cent of its energy needs powered by off-site renewable energy.<div id="1nDyC61snGG31xsXLg3R0P"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5wn5RfsMgW8kE1lVqxyERn/77f31cfa241c89f6abd7533ad24541fd/CBUS_office_story_mid_article_image.jpg" alt="Bates Smart Architects' render of the tower which will have an end value of $1 billion.
" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5wn5RfsMgW8kE1lVqxyERn/77f31cfa241c89f6abd7533ad24541fd/CBUS_office_story_mid_article_image.jpg"></picture><div>▲ A render of the Bates Smart Architects-designed tower, which will have an end value of $1 billion. </div></div>CBUS received <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/cbus-property-bourke-street-office-development-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/cbus-property-bourke-street-office-development-approval">development approval for the project in August, 2022</a> after submitting amended plans in November 2021.It first won approval for a building of 58 storeys on the site&nbsp;in December 2019.The developer also has other projects in Melbourne, at 313 Spencer Street, 720 Bourke Street in Docklands, 550 Bourke Street, 311 Spencer Street and Collins Arch.&nbsp;

An office tower with an expected end value of $1 billion is closer to being completed as early works are under way…


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