North Sydney’s $450m MLC Building revamp revealed

North Sydney’s landmark MLC building is set for a multi-million redevelopment, which is set to generate thousands of jobs.

North Sydney’s landmark MLC building is set for a multi-million redevelopment, which is set to generate thousands of jobs.

Oxford Investa Property Partnership (OIPP) this week lodged a development application with North Sydney Council for a major redevelopment of the existing MLC Building and incorporate a large public domain.

Mark Tait, Investa’s Group Executive and Head of Commercial Development, says the project represents an overall investment of $450 million in North Sydney and is expected to generate 1700 jobs during construction, and house 6200 workers when fully occupied.

He estimates that more than $500 million per year will be generated in value added by industry to the Sydney economy when the building is at full occupancy.

The proposal seeks to create a large public domain for North Sydney’s CBD by redeveloping the MLC Building into a revitalised 27-level commercial building with a large publicly accessible indoor and outdoor space with food, beverage, and retail offerings.

“After years of working closely with North Sydney Council to understand its vision for the area, Investa is confident this project will make a significant contribution to the council’s concerted planning efforts, bringing much needed public space and sunlight to North Sydney,” Tait says.

“We have carefully considered the needs of the local business and residential community and believe that the proposed redevelopment plans for a forward-thinking mixed-use space will make a significant contribution to the growth of the North Sydney CBD.

“The new space will host unique food, beverage and speciality retail offerings, boosting the potential for night-time and weekend trading and offering a greater range of activities for workers, residents, students and visitors.”

A 1995 photo of the MLC building in Miller St, North Sydney.

This is one of the first significant redevelopments for the area since North Sydney Council announced Stage Two of their North Sydney CBD Public Domain Strategy, which is centred on creating a more engaging and pedestrian focused CBD.

Ian Lyon, Head of Development, Asia Pacific Oxford Properties Group, said the proposed redevelopment of 105 Miller Street, North Sydney reinforced Oxford’s confidence in the growth outlook for Sydney and the company’s focus on investing in core gateway cities underpinned by major infrastructure investments.

He says the transforming North Sydney market is fast becoming an extension of the Sydney CBD.

“The plans put forward for the redevelopment of 105 Miller Street underline our confidence in the growth outlook for the North Sydney market, which continues to gain momentum each year, underpinned by high quality assets and strong tenant demand,” he says.

“105 Miller will serve as an important driver in creating a strong sense of place in the North Sydney CBD for businesses, residents and visitors. We are pleased to be partnering with Investa to deliver this landmark project in North Sydney.”

The design of the building has focused on flexibility and adaptability, allowing the community to respond to the changing environment.

The building aims to deliver on the councils’ ambitions to provide a greater sense of community to the region and its workforce through greater ground plan access and public space while also providing the necessary platform for occupiers to adapt their business.

In response to COVID-19, Investa has established a working group dedicated to exploring the future of work practices, innovations in tenant workplace design and flexible workspace products.

An artist’s impression of the redevelopment (may be subject to change), at the landmark MLC building at 105 Miller St, North Sydney.

Tait says this ongoing body of work and its integration into the design was fundamental to the quality of office space proposed for 105 Miller St development and would include new smart building initiatives such as contactless technology at the base building level, including options for touchless taps, entry doors and bathroom facilities, as well as technologies to enable real-time tracking of occupancy numbers.

These post COVID future ways of working considerations would be further explored within the next phase of design development.

Tait says Investa has undertaken extensive consultation with the community and the council to produce a design that responds to the needs of North Sydney and should be positively received.

“The redevelopment of 105 Miller Street is set to bring back much needed public space, sunlight and retail activation to the area – transforming it from a nine to five office hub to a place workers, residents and visitors can really enjoy – and at no expense to the taxpayer,” he says.

“It will also mean improved pedestrian flows and wayfinding – as well as thousands of jobs for the area.”

He says the redevelopment plans align with the council’s ambitions for the revitalisation of the North Sydney’s CBD, and there was a community consultation program planned, giving members of the community a chance to have their say.

The proposed development is in the spirit of the original modernist design, creating an innovative contemporary workplace on a scale not previously achieved.

To honour the building’s heritage, an interpretation centre with historic memorabilia will be set in a reconstructed section of the original facade on the ground floor and glazed external tiles from the current building will be re-used to clad lift cores, creating a prominent connection from every floor back to the original design.

Philip Vivian, the project architect and director of Bates Smart, says the redevelopment will improve amenity to existing public spaces and provide additional new public space, while celebrating the history of the building.

“Oxford, Investa and Bates Smart, the firm behind the design of the original building, will preserve and interpret heritage elements of the original MLC building in the redevelopment. The new building will also create a modern series of public spaces that add significant benefit to the North Sydney community,” Vivian says.

This article from the North Shore Times originally appeared as “North Sydney’s landmark MLC building set for $450m redevelopment”.