East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unveiling "The Toaster" (1997)

The series on the redevelopment of East Circular Quay has now reached Part 15. Last week, I focused on 1996. That year saw apartments in both developments by Colonial Mutual Limited (CML) and Mirvac go on sale along with construction, though the media thought that it was progressing slowly if anything at all.

The next three entries focus on 1997, which was marked by drama. Construction gained pace, but while that was happening, Sydneysiders rallied against the redevelopment. Even though its future had been set a few years earlier, critics of the redevelopment continued to push forward visions for the precinct. 

This week's entry focuses on construction, while next week's entry focuses on the public protests. The third entry looks at the visions for redevelopment of East Circular Quay that were presented during that year as solutions to address public opposition and concerns raised by its critics.

Construction continued and gained pace during the year. It was clear that the buildings were going to be built to completion. 

Source: Anon. 1997. "Quay project can't be stopped". The Daily Telegraph, April 4: 9. 

In 1997, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotel Group were still proceeding with their plans to consolidate 3,5 and 7 Macquarie Street into one building with 220 hotel rooms.

Source: Skelsey, M. 1997. "Quay site turns into hotel on the harbour". The Daily Telegraph, May 2: 9. 

For the majority of the year, Bennelong Apartments was draped in scaffolding. The building had topped out early in the new year.

Source: Darmann, J. 1997. Untitled. Photograph. The Daily Telegraph, January 15: 11. 

The Daily Telegraph even posted construction updates to update readers on progress. Some of the updates are featured below.

Source: Anon. 1997. "Quay's finish in site". The Daily Telegraph, March 24: 14.  

Source: Anon. 1997. "A guarded response". The Daily Telegraph, April 7: 16. 

Below is an image taken from The Rocks taken around June 1997. 

Sourced from: Wainwright, R. 1997. "Plan hatched in luxury suite". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 2: 8. 

Bennelong Apartments gets labelled "The Toaster"

In September 1997, the hoardings came off the Bennelong Apartments, and for the first time, Sydneysiders got to see the building. Martin Alexander Middleton of Portsmouth, England, told The Daily Telegraph that it looked like a "toaster". The general sentiment by tourists was that of disapproval, and that would support locals who voiced their concerns about the development.

 

Source: Skelsey, M. 1997. "Covers off new Quay building". The Daily Telegraph, September 9: 2.

By the end of 1997, construction had shifted to the interior of Bennelong Apartments, while the other buildings were in their early stages of ascension.

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)
10. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Mirvac Hotel Scheme - 61 Macquarie Street (1992)
11. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): New Planning Guidelines unveiled (1993)
12. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The shift towards residential development (1993)
13. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Residential Scheme unveiled (1994)
14. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Construction commences (1995)
15. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Construction continues (1996)

East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Construction continues (1996)

Last week, in the East Circular Quay Redevelopment series, I looked at 1995 and the commencement of construction, including the demolition of the buildings that remained on the site owned by Colonial Mutual Limited (CML). 

This year will focus on 1996.

Changes to the design

Further changes were proposed. Simply, 3 and 5 Macquarie Street would have been merged into one building, with 7 Macquarie Street remaining separate, except that it would become a hotel (as mentioned last week). The heights of the buildings were to be increased by five metres. An observation lounge proposed for the sky bridge connecting Bennelong Apartments (1 Macquarie) with the other buildings was scrapped.

 

Source: Totaro, P. "Back to the drawing board for controversial $350m Quay development".  The Sydney Morning Herald, September 27: 3. 

Mirvac Vs CML 

Source: Gosman, K. 1996. "Millionaires row over penthouses with a view". The Sunday Telegraph, November 24: 31. 

Mirvac's Quay Grand Project had pulled off very strong sales for their apartments, many fetching $2 million. When apartments were released for sale in May, they were all sold by the end of the day that sales were launched.  

Tycoon Bob Ell paid $3.5 million for his penthouse. He objected to plans to increase the height of the CML Buildings (3,5,7 Macquarie Street) by five metres. 

Apartment Sales

 

Source: Edwards, G. 1996. "Unit fetches $5m before a brick is laid". The Daily Telegraph, April 11: Page Unknown.

Even with the opposition building against it, there were plenty who were eager to call the area home and had the wallets to do so. Apartments were sold without any formal market.

One penthouse had been sold by April 1996 for $5.5 million.  

Construction

I had nothing on file with actual construction photos from 1996 to share, but it was reported that the entire development (both CML and Mirvac) would be completed by 1998. The newspapers questioned the pace of construction and whether there was any progress at all.

The next three entries will focus on 1997, which was significant as the construction of the buildings fuelled further opposition, and the question of how to redevelop the precinct rose again. 

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)
10. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Mirvac Hotel Scheme - 61 Macquarie Street (1992)
11. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): New Planning Guidelines unveiled (1993)
12. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The shift towards residential development (1993)
13. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Residential Scheme unveiled (1994)
14. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Construction commences (1995)

Property Advert of the Week: King Street Wharf (2000)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 2000 promoting the sale of apartments in the King St Wharf precinct in Central Sydney.

 

Source: Multiplex. 2000. "Invest in Time. Live at King Street Wharf" (Advertisement). The Sun Herald, September 3: 61. 

Property Advert of the Week: The Wharf: Woolloomooloo (1999)

Below is a 1999 newspaper advertisement for "The Wharf" at Woolloomoolooo. Remaining apartments were on sale from $815 000 to $2.75 million. Water views were guaranteed.

 

Source: Walker Corporation & Multplex. 1999. "The Wharf Woolloomooloo" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 5: 23RE (Real Estate Liftout).

Property Advert of the Week: The Wharf Terraces, Woolloomooloo (1997)

Below is a newspaper advertisement to promote the launch of sales for apartments in the Wharf Terraces in Woolloomooloo Bay from 1997.

Source: Anon. 1997. "All Ashore!" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 14: 3.

Property Advert of the Week: Chelsea Apartments, Chatswood (1999)

This week, we head to Chatswood. You could buy a studio apartment in the Chelsea Apartment complex for just $183 000 in 1999. 

Source: Multiplex. 1999. "AAA Investment Chatswood" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 5: 10 RE (Real Estate Liftout). 

1989: The Finger Wharf set to go

Wooloomooloo's famous finger wharf had fallen into disrepair by the late 1980s. Demolishing it seemed the easy way out at the time.

It began in 1987 when a plan was proposed to remove the wharf and build a "Monte Carlo" style marina.

Source: Anon. 1987. "The 'Loo to get Monte Carlo look," The Daily Telegraph, October 7: 18.

That did not impress Premier Barrie Unsworth who then ordered a conservation order to protect the wharf in December 1987, with the support of Environment Minister Bob Carr.

In early 1989, a proposal to redevelop the wharf was proposed, not liked by Federal Treasurer and architectural critic Paul Keating. The proposal comprised of a 400 room hotel, offices and shops.

Source: Anonymous. 1989. "Harbor finger wharf meets its Waterloo," The Daily Mirror, March 3, 16.

But later that year, a conservation order was to be lifted to save $20 million in maintainence costs and open the waterway to the public by demolishing the wharf. The plan to convert the building into a hotel would not proceed. 

Source: Grimshaw, T. 1989. "Finger wharf to go in hotel rebuff," The Daily Telegraph, September 8: 5. 

This did not impress Sydneysiders,who held public rallies to save it from demolition. It was successful.

Walker Corp and Multiplex would convert the wharf into an upmarket residential and hotel complex which was completed in 1999, just in time for the 2000 Olympic Games.

In fact it has become one of the premier addresses in Sydney. Hollywood actor Russell Crowe and radio presenter John Laws call the wharf home. The late Charlotte Dawson also lived there.

Some photos I took in 2006.

This one dates to 2012.