Construction Poised to Begin on $1.2b North Sydney Tower

Construction is poised to begin on Lendlease’s flagship commercial building in North Sydney, Victoria Cross Tower.

Rising above North Sydney’s new Metro station, the 42-storey office tower will be the lynchpin for a new commercial and retail precinct as the region’s resurgence continues. Work will start before the end of the year.

Lendlease said the tower would “represent the latest global thinking in place creation and workplace experience, offering a modern and sustainable space that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and innovation”.

A part of the Sydney Metro integrated station development, Victoria Cross Tower will be a net zero carbon structure, powered by 100 per cent renewables and is targeting a Platinum WELL and 6-Star Green Star rating.

Designed by Bates Smart, the premium-grade tower features an expansive lobby and multipurpose hub space, and outdoor balconies and green spaces.

On the ground level, the lobby opens to a retail-activated laneway with more than 20 retail and hospitality outlets planned to cater for workers, locals and visitors.

Victoria Cross Station has been tipped to transform North Sydney’s CBD into one of the most accessible business districts in the city, cutting transit times to places such as Barangaroo and Martin Place to mere minutes.

Victoria Cross Tower is 25 per cent owned by Lendlease's flagship Australian office fund, APPF Commercial. A spokesperson said the fund would continue its market-leading sustainability focus with the tower the first building in its portfolio to be fully electric.

“Constructing the $1.2-billion precinct will see the building rise approximately one floor each week,” they said.

“The project will support around 5000 jobs with 90 per cent of the workforce local to the Sydney area.”

Once completed, Victoria Cross Tower will accommodate up to 7000 workers across about 58,000sq m of office and retail space.

It is due to be completed in 2024. The new train services, Sydney Metro City and Southwest, are due to start the same year.

Lendlease managing director of development Tom MacKellar said North Sydney’s CBD was on a path of transformation and that “connectivity will be key with the introduction of Sydney Metro’s new Victoria Cross Station“.

“Victoria Cross Tower will stand at the centre of this transformation, in what will be a thriving new round-the-clock precinct, breathing new life into North Sydney,” he said.

▲ Victoria Cross Tower will boast an extensive retail and restaurant precinct.

Development in North Sydney has ramped up in recent months including, in June, Sydney-based developer Stockland Corporation winning approval for a $1.4 billion, 51-storey office tower in North Sydney.

North Sydney Council approved the development application for Affinity Place. It will be the tallest building in the lower north shore.

Meanwhile, Deicorp expects to start work within a month on its $445-million mixed-use project to be built above a recently completed Metro station in Sydney’s north-west.

The Independent Planning Commission greenlit the four 20-storey residential towers in the Hills Showground Station Precinct, about 35km north-west of the Sydney CBD, earlier this month.

It is part of the Sydney Metro Northwest line, joining the Sydney Metro North line at Chatswood.