The Newcastle skyline is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with two landmark residential towers racing towards completion this year. The 30-storey developments, Doma's 'The Store' at 854 Hunter Street and Thirdi's 'Dairy Farmers Tower' at 924 Hunter Street, are both on schedule to become the city's tallest buildings upon their anticipated finish in late 2026.
Scaffolding Falls as The Store Takes Shape
Progress at The Store is highly visible, with scaffolding now removed from its lower levels to reveal completed brickwork, arched windows, and balustrades. The development, which will contain 352 apartments, has sold more than 300 units already, including 44 in 2025 alone.
Chris Farrington, Doma's director of development, confirmed the east tower has reached level 15, with the west tower at level 13. "The facade glass has been installed to level 11 and fitout works including internal framing and wall construction are well under way," Mr Farrington said. Joinery installation has started on lower levels, and a display apartment on level five is nearly ready for a defect inspection in February.
Dairy Farmers Tower Surges from the Ground
A short distance west, the Dairy Farmers development has also made a significant leap. With transfer slabs complete, the towers are poised to climb rapidly. "Early in 2026 we will start to see the facade climb as well as the lower level brick installation and window suites," said Thirdi director Luke Berry.
The north tower has reached level seven and the south tower level five, with lift cores at level ten. Fit-out work is underway on the first four floors, and a prototype apartment is forecast for April. Approximately 135 of the 192 apartments have been sold. The project aims to top out by July 2026, with final completion dependent on weather conditions.
A Wave of Development Reshapes Newcastle West
The construction boom in Newcastle West shows no signs of slowing. Above-ground work has commenced on the WaterVue development at 643 Hunter Street, which will deliver over 100 apartments on the former Empire Hotel site. This follows the recent completion of GWH's One Apartments on National Park Street in late 2025.
A City of Newcastle spokesperson highlighted the continued momentum in high-rise development across the city, particularly in the West End. "The high-rise developments occurring within the city reflects strong investor confidence in Newcastle's transformation and will help boost housing supply, support local jobs and services," the spokesperson said.
Further projects are in the pipeline. Construction is anticipated to start in 2026 on GWH's 15-storey ERA development at 124-136 Bull Street, featuring 281 apartments. The council is also assessing major applications for high-density sites at 711 Hunter Street (the former Spotlight site), 12 Steel Street, and 20 Denison Street, all within the thriving Newcastle West precinct.
