Newcastle developer GWH has acquired a vacant site at 20 Denison Street in Newcastle West, with plans to build a $43 million mixed-use tower. The site had been empty since a development application was first submitted six years ago.
The City of Newcastle originally approved a 20-storey building with 74 apartments in 2019, under previous owner Newcastle Diamond Pty Ltd. However, GWH has proposed increasing the height from 65.2 metres to 86.2 metres, making it a 25-storey tower with 94 apartments, 130 car spaces, and 94 bicycle parking spaces.
GWH director Jonathan Craig said the modifications include a redesigned facade, a rooftop area, and communal spaces on the ground floor. The building will be primarily residential, with a ground-floor cafe and apartments above. Craig noted that the original development application was outdated and the market now expects higher standards in design and finishes.
GWH has been acquiring properties in Newcastle West, including the adjacent lot at 8 Denison Street and the former Cambridge Hotel. The tower at 8 Denison, known as Elements Apartments, will be 21 storeys with 72 apartments, with sales launched in 2023. Craig said the two towers together would provide 180 to 200 apartments.
Craig highlighted the westward shift of Newcastle's CBD, citing transport links, supermarkets, and harbour access as factors making the area attractive for residential towers. He described the project as an opportunity to create a precinct from Wood Street to Denison Street. Construction is expected to begin in early January 2026.
The 20 Denison Street site was listed as a mortgagee sale for $8 million in 2023 and sold for more than $8 million that year, then again for $6.9 million in November 2024, according to CoreLogic data.
