Former Quaker meeting house comes to market in Sydney's Surry Hills
It’s hard to miss the distinct character building at 119-123 Devonshire Street in the heart of Surry Hills, Sydney. Serving the community as a place of religious gathering since 1903, it’s now up for sale.
The property was built as the Sydney meeting house for the Religious Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers, after their original premises were acquired to make way for the expansion of Central Station. Designed by Quaker architect Alfred Allen jnr in Federation style, the building has served the community for more than 120 years.
The group chose Surry Hills as the location for its mission, as the suburb was then one of the inner city’s most densely populated working-class neighbourhoods.
The 559-square-metre, three-level free-standing property occupies a 357-square-metre site with dual street frontage to Devonshire and Butt streets. It sits on the CBD & South East Light Rail, and moments from Central Station and the broader Tech Central innovation corridor.
The property, which is for sale via expressions of interest, is expected to appeal to a broad range of buyers seeking repositioning, adaptive reuse or owner-occupation opportunities in a tightly held location increasingly shaped by education, technology, hospitality and creative industries.
Opportunities like this are rare in the inner-city market, says James Cowan, head of NSW investment services at Colliers.
“You simply can’t replicate this combination of character, scale and positioning in today’s market,” he says. “It sits at the heart of one of Sydney’s most connected and culturally relevant precincts, where institutional-grade freeholds with genuine flexibility are increasingly scarce.”
The building is zoned MU1 Mixed Use under the Sydney LEP 2012 with a 1.5:1 FSR and nine-metre height limit. Its features include expansive open-plan areas, lift access and multiple entry points.
This flexibility is likely to attract interest from private investors, education providers, creative occupiers and owner-operators looking to secure a foothold close to the city.
There is a growing demand for properties that offer an authentic architectural identity within infrastructure-rich urban precincts. says Joseph Lin, Colliers’ national director, asia markets/investment services.
“There’s a growing appetite for buildings with authentic identity, particularly within precincts benefiting from major infrastructure and employment growth,” he says.
“Devonshire Street has evolved into a true extension of the CBD while retaining the neighbourhood character occupiers are seeking.”
Expressions of Interest close at 3pm on June 24.
