Tall & Urban News

A legal battle is underway over the fate of the crumbling heritage-listed MLC Building at North Sydney.

Investa Property Group lodged plans to demolish the 1950s modernist-era building, the first high rise in North Sydney. But its plans unraveled as the New South Wales government architect and Special Minister of State Don Harwin stepped in to support the property’s state heritage listing, following public dissent.

Investa objected to the potential listing of the MLC Building on the state heritage register, citing a 2013 decision by the NSW heritage council not to list the building as it wasn’t of “significance to the state”, but to no avail—the building was added to the register in June 2021.

Amended plans were submitted to North Sydney Council in late December 2021 and the case is before the Land and Environment Court this week as Investa looks to salvage its AU$500-million (US$358 million) plans for a 27-story commercial tower on the 6,640-square-meter site.

For more on this story, go to The Urban Developer.