FAQ
Planning
What is being delivered as part of the redevelopment of Harbourside?
Mirvac has obtained approval to develop the site into a mixed use development with a maximum total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 87,000sqm, comprising 42,000 sqm GFA of residential area, and 45,000sqm GFA of office and retail area. This will equate to approximately 33,500 sqm of office space, 10,000 sqm of premium retail space and around 265 luxury apartments within a 42 storey residential tower. The 10,200 sqm of public domain includes a new 3,500 sqm Waterfront Garden, as well as a widened Waterfront Promenade for the community to visit and enjoy.
What planning applications have been lodged and approved to date?
All three major development applications are required to be consistent with the Harbourside Concept Plan (SSD 7874) that was approved on 25 June 2021, which outlines the planning parameters to guide future detailed design and construction. The three major development applications for this project have been lodged and approved as follows:
SSDA1 for civil works and bulk excavation was lodged in June 2022 and approved in March 2023 for:
- Slab demolition
- Bulk Excavation works
- Construction of retaining structures to facilitate the redevelopment of the Harbourside Shopping Centre
Stage 2 SSDA for main works was lodged in December 2022 and approved in December 2023 for:
- Construction of a 50-storey development (RL 170) including tower, podium and basement levels for residential accommodation, office and retail;
- Parking for cars, motorcycles, service vehicles and bicycles;
- Provision of hard and soft landscaping and through site links;
- Electricity and stormwater infrastructure; and
- Consolidation and stratum subdivision of the site
Stage 3 SSDA for public domain was lodged in June 2023 and approved in June 2025. Approval was granted for over 11,000sqm of public space including:
- ~6,000 square metre Waterfront Promenade, creating a dynamic blend of public space and seating, thoughtfully designed with landscaping;
- New 3,500sqm square metre Waterfront Garden, adjacent to the historic Pyrmont Bridge;
- New Bunn Street pedestrian bridge that will create a seamless link between Pyrmont, Harbourside precinct;
- New pedestrian connections with ramps and a lift ensuring inclusive and accessible access for all.
What Is The Overall Timeframe For The Development (Planning, Demolition, Construction)?
Demolition works, and civil works are complete, while main works are well underway on the podium and tower structures. The overall development is expected to be completed in late 2027, though we are planning to have some areas of ground floor to be open ahead of this, which will be completed in a staged fashion.
What Steps Have Been Taken To Ensure Design Excellence For The Redevelopment of Harbourside?
A competitive design competition was conducted in late 2021 in accordance with the Design Excellence Strategy approved in The Harbourside Concept Plan (SSD 7874) consent. From a field of six architectural teams, the Snohetta & Hassell partnership, were announced as the winners of this process, in December 2021.
Snøhetta is an internationally renowned architecture practice from Norway, with studios in Oslo, San Francisco, Innsbruck, Paris, Hong Kong, Adelaide and Stockholm.
Hassell is an Australian architecture practice, with local studios in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and internationally in London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore.
More information can be found on our design partners by visiting their websites, snohetta.com and hassellstudio.com
Will I get a chance to input into the project’s final design and features?
Mirvac hosted a community engagement session in March 2023 to gather feedback regarding the public domain design. Please contact consultation@ethosurban.com for further information.
How will this project benefit the wider city and community?
A Social Impact Assessment is being carried out in relation to the Harbourside Renewal Project which will provide a variety of recommendations.
Acknowledging the pressure of affordable housing for the wider Sydney community, Mirvac’s public benefit offer includes a monetary contribution of $5.2m towards the delivery of affordable community housing.
Mirvac will oversee future activation works in the immediate precinct. The final scope and design is to be developed with Place Management NSW and may include such things as public art, specialist lighting, WI-FI, AV&P.
The project itself also involves the delivery of public benefit infrastructure including in-kind public domain works. Mirvac will fund and deliver over 11,000sqm of functional public domain works in kind, including:
- A widened Waterfront Promenade (~6,000sqm): providing a range of intimate and open dwell spaces for residents to enhance the precinct’s connectivity and the waterfront experience,
- A new publicly accessible park, Waterfront Garden (3,500sqm), adjacent to Pyrmont bridge providing a town square, for both everyday community gathering, and curated events and activation,
- A new and improved pedestrian route that will directly connect Bunn Street to the Darling Harbour waterfront boulevard via a new pedestrian bridge and through-site link through the development,
- New public stairs adjacent to Pyrmont Bridge to improve access to the Darling Harbour Waterfront Promenade,
- New public stairs connecting the new public park Waterfront Garden to the Darling Harbour Waterfront Promenade. These will also serve as places to sit and enjoy performances and other activations on the Waterfront Promenade,
- Accessibility at the heart of the design, with ramps and a lift ensuring inclusive access for all.
What happened to existing tenants of the former shopping centre?
We’ve been in discussions with our tenants for a number of years as we’ve progressed our plans to redevelop Harbourside Shopping Centre. The redevelopment works cannot be carried out practicably without vacant possession of the premises. All existing tenants vacated in late 2022. The centre is now closed for redevelopment.
Mirvac is working on a retail strategy for the composition and tenant mix of the future Harbourside development.
Will the Pyrmont Bridge heritage asset be impacted by this development?
Pyrmont bridge will remain open and preserved during the construction of the Harbourside renewal project. There will be upgrading to paving at the western approaches to the bridge, but this will not impact access to it.
Will there be housing in the new development?
Yes, there will be approximately 265 residential units.
Who do I contact for questions about the project design and planning process?
Mirvac has engaged urban planning and engagement specialists at Ethos Urban to manage all community enquiries regarding the Harbourside renewal project.
The team can be reached via email at consultation@ethosurban.com or phone on 0455 889 510.
Construction Works
When will construction commence?
Demolition commenced in March 2023. Since then, civil works have also been completed. Main construction works are now well underway on the podium and tower structures.
When will construction be completed?
The overall development is expected to be completed in late 2027, though we are planning to have some areas of ground floor to be open ahead of this, which will be completed in a staged fashion.
Can I still access the surrounding roads to the site during construction?
All vehicular roads surrounding the site will remain open throughout the redevelopment. From time-to-time there may be temporary disruptions to the surrounding road network to facilitate critical works. In this case, notification will be distributed in advance to near neighbours, and appropriate signage and traffic controllers will be placed on site to safely manage vehicle and pedestrian movement.
The existing pedestrian footbridge connecting the Murray Street parking station and existing Harbourside Shopping Centre was removed during the demolition works. A new footbridge providing a direct link between Bunn Street and the Waterfront Promenade will be constructed as part of the new works.
Can I still access the waterfront during construction?
Yes, the waterfront walk-way will remain open during all stages of the redevelopment.
What are the approved hours of work?
Approval of SSDA N.02 (Main Works) was received in December 2023. The approved hours for work activities are:
- Between 7.00am and 7.00pm, Mondays to Fridays inclusive.
- Between 7.00am and 5.00pm, Saturdays.
- Between 5.00pm and 6.00pm, Saturday (internal works only).
- No work will be carried out on Sundays (without prior approvals) and Public Holidays.
Will there be any out-of-hours work?
While works will predominantly be undertaken during standard construction hours, however from time-to-time activities will need to take place outside of these hours due to safety, authority works, technical or public amenity considerations. Works notifications including further details about out-of-hours activities will be distributed ahead of time to our near neighbours.
How can I stay updated on construction progress?
We distribute monthly e-newsletters to our registered database providing updates about the latest works at the Harbourside site. You can receive Harbourside updates direct to your inbox by registering here, if you haven’t already. Alternatively, you can find the suite of newsletters on our website here.
Who do I contact about construction enquiries?
Mirvac has engaged urban planning and engagement specialists at Ethos Urban to manage all community enquiries regarding the Harbourside renewal project.
The team can be reached via email at consultation@ethosurban.com or phone on 0455 889 510
Register for updates
Community feedback is an important part of Mirvac’s commitment to being a good neighbour, and we look forward to staying in touch as the project progresses. To receive community updates, including future consultation activities, please register your interest via our community updates form. For sales and leasing interest, please register your details via our sales updates form.
Mirvac acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters of Australia and we pay our respect to their Elders past and present. We recognise that Darling Harbour is located on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation and we thank them for their care and custodianship since time immemorial.
Artwork: ‘Reimagining Country’, created by Riki Salam (Mualgal, Kaurareg, Kuku Yalanji) of We are 27 Creative.