North Sydney’s Simsmetal House gets the nod from the State’s planning department for an independent vertical school.

Built – as landowner and in partnership with fast-growing Inspired Education – lodged a concept and stage 1 State significant DA for the adaptive reuse of Harry Seidler’s heritage item at 41 Maclaren Street into a co-educational K-12 school with capacity for 1560 students.

Stage 1 works will see the repositioning of the existing basement, ground level and levels 1 – 2 for a school accommodating 500 students, as well as reconfiguration and extension of the basement to include a multi-purpose sporting facility, drama and dance classrooms and an on-site pick-up and drop-off zone. The covered area at the ground floor level and terraces on levels 2 and 7 will be used for outdoor activities during school hours.

North Sydney is undergoing rapid urban renewal, which is expected to transform the locality and surrounds into a prominent commercial destination, supported by a range of retail, residential, community and educational uses. However, with too many large-scale commercial developments being undertaken in North Sydney, the need for commercial office space has declined considerably over the years.