26°C | Thursday November 13, 2025 
9 July 2025
A $354m plan is in motion to transform North Sydney’s landmark MLC Building into a major new university campus. The proposal involves refurbishing the State-heritage listed Miller Street wing, demolishing and replacing the Denison Street wing with a 22-storey structure, and delivering more than 48,000m² of gross floor area to accommodate 5,740 students and staff.
Investa has formally commenced the state significant approvals process, lodging a request for Industry Specific Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. The project includes 870 operational jobs, 307 construction jobs, and a small street-level retail component designed to activate the precinct and serve campus users.
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The redevelopment site at 105-153 Miller Street—originally completed in 1957 as Australia’s first large-scale commercial curtain wall tower—has been vacant since March 2022. Investa attributes this to significant deterioration of the structure over time, including façade delamination, flooding, asbestos contamination, seismic inadequacy and general failure to meet modern standards.
The proposal involves the adaptive reuse of the Miller Street wing, new central core infrastructure, and replacement of the Denison Street wing. Public domain upgrades include a new open space along Miller Street and relocated basement access to support North Sydney Council’s planned pedestrianisation of Denison and Miller Streets. The project will include more than 250 bicycle parking spaces and a reduced car parking footprint, aligning with the North Sydney Transport Strategy and Future Transport Strategy.
The site has a complex planning history. Investa’s previous attempt to demolish the entire building under DA147/2020 was refused in May 2023 after years of litigation and heritage disputes. The building was added to the State Heritage Register in June 2021, delisted after a legal challenge in July 2022, and relisted again in December 2023.
The current plan proposes a heritage-sensitive approach, retaining significant architectural features while enabling a viable redevelopment. The new Denison Street wing will reflect the proportions of the original structure while delivering contemporary teaching and learning facilities. The retail component comprises just 0.85% of the total and is intended to complement the primary educational use.
Consultation with stakeholders—including North Sydney Council, the NSW Heritage Council, the State Design Review Panel and adjacent landowners—has resulted in general support. The Heritage Council recommended maintaining architectural continuity with the original façade. Concerns raised around traffic, views and construction impacts have been addressed in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.
As a development for a tertiary institution exceeding $50m in value, the proposal qualifies as state significant development under the Planning Systems SEPP. The Minister for Planning or their delegate will serve as consent authority.
Investa has also lodged a parallel commercial redevelopment application for the site (DA387/24), which remains under council assessment. The company says progressing both schemes simultaneously ensures a viable and timely reuse of the building, which has now sat empty for over two years.