Plans for a new residential tower in Sydney's Darling Harbour have come under criticism from hotelier Dr Schwartz, who believes the Harbourside re-development should remain true to its initial purpose.

In 2019, Mirvac lodged a new plan for the site, proposing a commercial office above a redeveloped shopping and commercial centre.

However, Mirvac produced yet another design for the site which re-introduced a residential tower as the major element in the development plan.

At a glance: 

• Hotelier Dr Jerry Schwartz has criticised Mirvac's plans to include a residential tower in its Darling Harbour development.
• Dr Schwartz owns the adjacent Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, the view from which would be blocked if the tower was built.
• The proposal is part of the planned Harbourside redevelopment.

Dr Schwartz, who owns the adjacent Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, said the residential focus of the development proposal "goes totally against" the tourism, entertainment and retail concept of Darling Harbour.

"The opening of the Sofitel and International Convention Centre three years ago re-emphasised Darling Harbour's principal role as Sydney's tourism hub, and there is no justification for deviating from that model," he said.

“The Ribbon development on the former Imax site was also proposed as part-residential but had to change to full short-term accommodation, comprising a full-service hotel and serviced apartments.

“Darling Harbour has been designed as a commercial tourist and business precinct, not as another residential area in a city that is already well serviced by large-scale high to medium density apartment developments."

The view from Sofitel Darling Harbour that would be destroyed in Mirvac's updated development were to go ahead, according to Dr Jerry Schwartz. Source: Sofitel

He said the proposal stood to block out views from a number of existing hotels, even more so with the plan to move the tower from the originally planned northern end to the centre of the site.

"When I bought the Sofitel at a very substantial cost prior to its opening, there was a condition that no building would be built on the Harbourside site for 15 years," he said.

"Clearly, the Mirvac proposal is in direct contravention of that condition.

“The whole point of the original proposal was to ‘re-develop’ the Harbourside shopping centre, not develop a massive residential tower under the guise of redeveloping the existing shopping component.

“The rest of Mirvac’s proposal – the commercial and retail – is just a smokescreen for what is the ultimate end game: a massive residential development which goes completely against the ethos of the original Darling Harbour design concept.

"The NSW Government should make it clear to Mirvac that this third version of their re-development plan is totally unacceptable.”

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