East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Mirvac Hotel Scheme - 61 Macquarie Street (1992)

Source: Chancellor, J. & Cook, D. 1992. "Mirvac keen to go alone on Quay site". The Sydney Morning Herald, February 11: 26. 

After a two-week recess, I present the tenth entry on the redevelopment of East Circular Quay. A fortnight ago, I posted an entry on the 'Ideas Quest' held by Sydney City Council to determine future planning guidelines for Circular Quay. This followed the rejection of Colonial Mutual Limited's (CML) $700 million proposal to redevelop five blocks and consolidate them into a single commercial development.

Mirvac owned 61 Macquarie Street and had been encouraged to unite with AMP (Owners of the Coca-Cola Amatil Building) and CML to redevelop the entire block in a joint project.

Instead, Mirvac proposed their own development for their site in late 1991, but it was not made public until the following year. This would be their first scheme to redevelop the site, which would eventually become a hotel and apartment complex, home to the Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour Hotel.  

The office building occupying the site was to be demolished, and a 22-level, 254-room hotel would be built. The building would have been similar in height to existing buildings on the block, but there were concerns about increased shadowing at Circular Quay in the early morning. 

So why did this plan not proceed? The answer shall be revealed next week

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme
7. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)
8. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The Revolving Office Tower Scheme (1991)
9. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay 'Ideas Quest' (1992)