At Aqualand, we take our mantra of ‘Live Better’ literally. That’s why we’re invested so heavily in the prestigious suburb of North Sydney, so that our residents can live a better life.
Our commitment to the North Sydney council area is clearly evident at our landmark AURA by Aqualand residential precinct at 168 Walker Street, which is set to open in mid-2024, as well as our award-winning BLUE at Lavender Bay, which was completed in 2021.
You may have read in the news recently that we’re also in the very early stages of planning our first build-to-rent project, which is to be built on the site of our existing commercial building at 146 Arthur Street in, you guessed it, North Sydney!
The proposed 40-storey project will see approximately 300 apartments available for rent above a lively ground floor retail and commercial precinct, just 400 metres from North Sydney Station and 250 metres from the future Victoria Cross Metro Station.
What you probably don’t know, is that we also have other commercial assets in North Sydney, including 15 Blue Street and 132 Arthur Street, which are also potential future redevelopment sites.
Our lifestyle and hospitality brand, Etymon Projects, is also bringing world-class hospitality venues to North Sydney with Loulou Bistro already thriving in Milsons Point, and Poetica, which recently opened at 1 Denison Street. They’re also in the midst of delivering four other highly curated must go-to’s in AURA’s podium level, which are also due to open in mid-2024.
So, in addition to our commitment to assisting in easing Sydney’s high-quality rental shortage, we’re also delivering on our ‘Live Better’ philosophy by making these significant contributions to the vibrancy of the 18-hour economy in the North Sydney CBD precinct, which is already in the midst of a major rejuvenation.
So, why are we putting all our eggs in the 2060 basket, so to speak?
Because there are a number of strategic drivers we believe make North Sydney such a great investment, not to mention a great place to live, such as these:
- It’s mid-way through an exciting renaissance… that’s making it an activated and lively place to live with robust growth potential. There’s myriad (aside from Etymon’s) bars, pubs and restaurants that are attracting foodies from all over greater Sydney. Check out these for a start.
- Significant government investment… in North Sydney CBD over the next decade will flow through to over $14 billion in private sector spending.
- New transport options and public infrastructure … is included in the strategic growth plans for North Sydney including myriad public domain works identified in the North Sydney CBD Public Domain Strategy, which includes future amenities, transport (the Victoria Cross Station will be completed in mid-2024), and local areas of interest.
- Location, location, location… whilst being an old adage, certainly rings true here. Let’s face it, 2060 is a cracking location, pure and simple! Thanks to the future Victoria Cross Station, Barangaroo will be reached in three minutes and there are already plenty of road, rail and bus routes to reach Sydney’s bustling CBD shopping and entertainment attractions in virtually no time at all. Not to mention the amazing views of Sydney Harbour seen from the harbour-hugging location.
- It’s become a magnet for major global companies… with Zurich, Sony, Channel 9, Coca Cola and Microsoft just a few already calling the suburb home, plus there’s the new 1 Denison Street precinct coming. This makes 2060 the perfect place to live, work and play without leaving your suburb.
- North Sydney’s loaded with private and selective schools… with one of Sydney’s most prestigious high schools, Reddam House, about to develop a high-rise campus to offer private co-education from kindergarten to year 12. It already has myriad other prestigious schools including North Sydney Boys High School (which claimed the No.1 spot in the Higher School Certificate rankings in 2023), North Sydney Girls High School (claimed fourth in the Higher School Certificate rankings in 2023), Marist Catholic College North Shore, Wenona School and Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College already there.
- It’s growing… in terms of people, with its population forecast to increase by 6,000, and in terms of property value, with unit prices growing by 12% in the past year (vs 6% in Sydney CBD).
So, these are just a few reasons why we think North Sydney’s a great place to not only live in, but to invest in. But don’t just take our word for it, hear a little of what the locals have to say about their highly coveted suburb here.
