O’Connell Street: Lendlease’s Bold Super Rezoning

Written by

Charbel Abousleiman

Urban Planning Lawyer & Buyers Agent

20/08/2024

The City of Sydney has unveiled a planning proposal for the site at 1 – 25 O’Connell Street and 8 – 16 Spring Street in response to a redevelopment request by Lendlease. This proposal aligns with the Central Sydney Planning Strategy, aiming to enhance employment space, elevate public domain outcomes and prioritise environmental sustainability while maintaining design excellence.

Spanning 6,737 sqm, the irregularly shaped site features six lots and boasts street frontages on O’Connell, Spring and Bent Streets. Key structures on the site include the 36 x storey office tower at 1 O’Connell Street and the Wintergarden podium, along with five other office buildings.

Notably, the State heritage-listed buildings at 19 – 21 O’Connell Street and the former Wales building, now home to the Radisson Blu Hotel, are also part of this proposal.

Redevelopment plans with through-site sink from Spring Street to O’Connell Street

The rezoning request seeks to make substantial changes to the amalgamated site’s planning framework:

Floor Space Ratio: Increase from 8:1 to 23:1, inclusive of all available bonuses.
Height: Increase from 235 metres to 319 metres, subject to sun access and overshadowing controls.
Conditions: Consent can only be granted if the 1 O’Connell Street tower is retained, with the corner podium element redeveloped and featuring a new ‘lantern’ roof element, maximising active street frontages and incorporating a through-site link.

The plan allows for the site to achieve a gross floor area of about 155,000 sqm. This includes construction a new commercial tower of around 94,000 sqm. The new tower will rise above the podium and stretch across the site, incorporating the iconic Wintergarden corner element.

Lendlease promises to blend the preservation of historic elements with innovative new design, offering a mix of commercial and public spaces that contribute to the evolving skyline and functionality of Central Sydney.

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