Victoria Avenue Archives - Chatswood News

A slice of land in Chatswood housing a decommissioned electricity substation is hitting the market as “prime” development real estate — despite its history as a live electrical site and its modest 170 square metre footprint.

Auction Set for May

Located at 123 Victoria Avenue, the former Ausgrid site is now being offered for auction through Belle Property Lane Cove, with the sale scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7. The block is zoned E1 Local Centre, meaning it can support a variety of commercial or mixed-use projects.

The Chatswood listing is part of a wider sell-off of surplus assets by electricity distributor Ausgrid, which includes similar sites across Lane Cove West, Hunters Hill, and Longueville.

The company is clearing unused or decommissioned substations from its books and placing them on the open market, often with conditions that allow Ausgrid continued maintenance access via easements.

From Substation to Sale

The Chatswood site no longer carries live power but still has a brick structure, and any redevelopment will need council approval.

Its location on busy Victoria Avenue has drawn strong interest. Similar sites, like one in Woolwich in 2024, required rezoning before development, something not yet applied for in Chatswood, though agents say buyer interest is high.

Local Concerns and Considerations

Some nearby residents have raised safety concerns about redeveloping old substation sites, but local property owners keen to expand have shown the most interest, according to Belle Property.

This Chatswood listing joins previous Ausgrid sales in Wahroonga and Zetland in recent years, forming a pattern of utilities divesting old infrastructure in areas where land is scarce and property values remain high.

Published 16-April-2025

A new commercial and hotel space will soon be built on Victoria Avenue after the Sydney North Planning Panel recently approved Cromwell Property Group’s development application.

The plan, submitted to the Willoughby Council in 2018, underlined the erection of a four-storey building for commercial use, as well as a 15-storey hotel, which will be built on the adjacent street.

Two existing commercial buildings on the block will also be improved to link with the new structures. Additionally, the development will entail landscaping and other amenities to meet the demands of the public.

Once completed, the hotel will have 156 rooms, a 13-metre lap pool, a restaurant and three event rooms.

Cromwell, which purchased the sites in 2006, confirmed in a press release that the Victoria Avenue development will cost $75 million.

“There is an opportunity to augment the amenity in Chatswood particularly for the growing professional and residential population. When complete, Victoria Avenue will be a vibrant destination for retail, dining and leisure – similar in vision to our landmark Northpoint redevelopment in North Sydney which opened in early 2018,” Cromwell Head of Property Bobby Binning said.

“We are determined to provide our tenants with the best work environment possible in the Lower North Shore.”

Victoria Avenue in Chatswood is a significant commercial and office area in the Lower North Shore. Located some 10 kilometres away from the CBD, this site is also close to other transport facilities like the Chatswood Transport Interchange (CTI) and the Pacific Highway.

Tag: Victoria Avenue

Chatswood Substation Site Listed as ‘Prime’ Land, Drawing Community Attention

Auction Set for May

From Substation to Sale

Local Concerns and Considerations

Commercial and Hotel Space Worth $75 Million to Rise in Victoria Avenue