New owners have proposed to refurbish the existing building and deliver 89 apartments, as well as retail and commercial spaces

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Sydney’s embattled Sirius building will be refurbished after being sold by the state government for $150m.

The housing minister, Melinda Pavey, on Friday announced the former public housing building, a striking example of Brutalist architecture in the Rocks district of Sydney’s city centre, had been sold to Sirius Developments Pty Ltd following a competitive tender process which attracted national and international interest.

Sirius Developments is owned and backed by the Australian investment firm JDH Capital.

It comes 17 months after the building’s last resident moved out in January 2018, and follows a passionate campaign to save the Sirius after the NSW government refused to place it on the State Heritage Register.

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The minister said the new owners would revitalise the existing building and deliver 89 apartments, as well as retail and commercial spaces. The proceeds of the sale would go towards new social housing, she said.

“This is a great outcome that will see $150m injected directly into building new social housing dwellings,” she said.

“This is expected to provide housing for around 630 people, helping the most vulnerable members of our community.”

The removal of social housing tenants from the building was variously described as “heartless”, a form of social cleansing, and short-sighted, and was opposed by Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore.

Moore said on Friday that while she was pleased the building will be retained, “I’m extremely disappointed that the public asset – purpose built to house people on low incomes – has been sold for market housing after its tenants were evicted from their homes.”

“We are facing a housing and homelessness crisis in the city, with only 1% of homes in Sydney classified as affordable and the numbers of people sleeping rough on our streets increasing.”

Sirius Developments will now move through a design and development application process.