The renewal of the old Swiss Grand Hotel at Bondi into a mixed-use development with some of the best apartments in Sydney took out the Urban Taskforce's ‘Development of the Year’ prize at the Development Excellence Awards 2016.

“Apartments have dominated this year’s Development Excellence Awards including the top award of Development of the Year,” said Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson.

“Pacific Bondi Beach was the unanimous choice for top development of 2016, demonstrating an amazing renewal of the old Swiss Grand Hotel into a new mixed use building that contains some of Sydney’s best apartments overlooking Bondi Beach,” he said.

The $450 million development sold out in record time and at record prices. The building includes a supermarket, shops, a hotel, and art works, and Johnson says it adds “to the beach side vitality of Bondi.” A six-storey atrium with a green space that is open to public is a standout feature of the development.

The project was developed by Allen Linz of Rebel Property Group and Eduard Litver of Capit.el Group.

Apartment buildings at Parramatta, St Leonards, Barangaroo, Mascot and Riverwood also won awards, reflecting the boom in apartment developments sweeping the nation's capital cities. Other winners included the KOI Apartments at Parramatta by Dyldam (best high-rise metro development), and Mascot Central at Mascot by Meriton (best mixed-use development).

Chair of the judging panel, NSW Government Architect Peter Poulet, was encouraged there were “many quality projects to choose from.”

The jury considered design quality, economic performance, and innovation in selecting the winners.

The judges for the Urban Taskforce Development Excellence Awards were Peter Poulet, NSW Government Architect; Carolyn Cummins, Commercial Property Editor, Sydney Morning Herald; John Wynne, Managing Partner, Urbis; John Ferrarin, Quantity Surveyor, Ferrarin Consulting Services and David Tanevski, Managing Director, KWC Capital Partners.

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