Rezonings

Mandarin Centre Set for Vertical Reinvention: Residential Living to Replace Commercial Limits in Chatswood

By Charbel Abousleiman

June 5, 2025
Less than 4 minute read

#1 Place for Development in Sydney

A significant transformation is on the horizon for the Mandarin Centre site at 65 Albert Avenue in Chatswood, with a bold proposal to deliver a 46-storey mixed-use tower that places residential living at its core. This redevelopment is part of the broader Housing Delivery Authority program and represents a shift in planning priorities to better reflect market realities and urban needs.

Currently home to a commercial retail complex, the 3,524 sqm Mandarin Centre site has been subject to a protracted planning process dating back to 2013. The applicant has long pushed to increase the residential component of the site, challenging existing planning controls that favour a commercial-heavy mix.

While earlier rezoning changes allowed ‘shop-top housing’, the requirement to retain a substantial non-residential floor space has made redevelopment commercial unviable, especially in light of declining demand for office space in Chatswood CBD.

To unlock the real potential of this high-profile site, a new rezoning will be lodged as part of the Housing Delivery Authority program. The following changes are proposed:

Remove the minimum commercial floor area requirement for shop-top housing developments.

Increase the building height by replacing the current height limit with a new site-specific maximum (i.e. 46-storeys).

Introduce a new overshadowing control to protect solar access to Chatswood Oval between 12:15pm and 2pm during mid-winter, replacing the broader existing 11am shadow control.

The proposed tower will deliver around 300 residential apartments and a 10,000 sqm retail podium to activate the street level.

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