Retirement living and aged care operator RSL LifeCare has lodged plans for an $88 million seniors living development in Wollstonecraft on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, proposing 60 independent living apartments and a small residential aged care component.

The State Significant Development Application (SSDA) covers a 3,173 sqm site spanning 20-24 Sinclair Street and 17-21 Gillies Street, where six existing houses would be demolished to make way for a new building rising between seven and nine storeys.

Designed by DKO Architecture, the development would comprise three one-bedroom, 33 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom independent living apartments, alongside seven residential aged care rooms.

The proposal is designed to allow older residents to remain in the local area as their accommodation and care needs change, combining independent retirement living with access to residential care and a range of communal facilities.

The plans include a substantial wellness offering, with an indoor swimming pool, sauna, gym, treatment room and multipurpose space, alongside a coffee and juice bar.

Upper-level communal areas would feature a residents’ club room, library and reading areas, television lounge, private dining facilities and outdoor terraces.

Landscape architecture practice Oculus has designed the gardens and outdoor spaces, which include native planting, communal courtyards, rooftop gardens and landscaped areas throughout the development.

The building has been designed around the site’s sloping topography, with a U-shaped configuration intended to maximise natural light, ventilation and views towards Sydney Harbour and the surrounding neighbourhood.

According to the planning documents, 76 per cent of the independent living apartments would receive at least two hours of direct sunlight during midwinter, while 60 per cent would benefit from natural cross-ventilation.

All 60 apartments are proposed as adaptable housing, allowing their layouts and accessibility features to accommodate residents’ changing mobility requirements.

The development would also provide 80 car parking spaces across two partially submerged levels, with vehicle access from Gillies Street.

The site sits within the Crows Nest Transport Oriented Development precinct, which has been earmarked for increased residential density following the opening of the Crows Nest Metro Station.

It is also close to several major healthcare facilities, including the Mater Hospital and the nearby Poche Centre, with Royal North Shore Hospital approximately 1.3 kilometres away.

RSL LifeCare is a not-for-profit retirement living and aged care provider operating across NSW and the ACT.

The Wollstonecraft proposal forms part of its approach to providing accommodation that supports ageing in place, with independent living and residential care incorporated into the same development.

The application will be assessed through the NSW Government’s State Significant Development planning pathway.