FAQ

Salter Brothers is proposing to redevelop the Holiday Inn Potts Point hotel site into a vibrant, village-style precinct with new homes, public spaces and retail.

One Kings Cross will have c250-300 apartments, including key worker housing, with around one third of the precinct dedicated to new public spaces, laneways and connections. The precinct, located directly above Kings Cross Station and one train stop from the CBD, will feature the first new public square in Kings Cross in over a decade, connecting into a brand new Station entry that will also be accessible from Victoria Street. There will be plenty of fresh new dining and lifestyle retail in the laneways and on the streets, bringing life to the precinct and the local area.

Demolition of existing buildings and structures on site is included in the proposal.

It is early days. We anticipate lodging a State Significant Development Application before the end of this year. Subject to planning approval, we would expect to commence construction in 2027. An indicative project timeline is available here.

The site is owned by, and the proposal is led by, Salter Brothers, one of Australia’s leading investment managers with a particular focus on specialist property. Salter Brothers has a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use development pipeline spanning residential, commercial office, retail and hotels.

Salter Brothers has appointed an award-winning local design and engineering team for One Kings Cross. Architects Bates Smart and Neeson Murcutt Neille (NMN) are working with Connecting with Country consultant Bangawarra and landscape architect Aspect, to create a high-quality, sustainable, mixed-use precinct that reflects the character of the local area and contributes to the revitalisation of Kings Cross. Working closely with the architects is multi-disciplinary engineering firm Arup, with specialist skills in large-scale transport oriented developments.

One Kings Cross will create c250-300 apartments of one, two and three bedrooms. There will be 5% key worker housing.

The site’s location directly above and connected into Kings Cross Station, supports NSW government policies to create more housing on top of or next to railway stations. The new homes will be close to employment and public transport, and in a very walkable and cycling-friendly area.

Around one third of the site, c1,500 sqm, will be public spaces, laneways and connections. This includes the first new public square in Kings Cross in over a decade, as well as new connections through the site, and laneways activated with retail alongside new street retail.

The proposal includes c3,000 sqm of retail which will help to activate the street frontages and laneways through the site. We will work through an appropriate retail strategy, but we think the location is well suited to high quality retail, dining, entertainment and lifestyle offers.

There is currently no public parking on the site and there won’t be any in the proposed development. Some private parking will be available for the residents.

We’re working through the proposed heights of the buildings, but the precinct will include a mix of low, mid and high-rise buildings that are designed to integrate thoughtfully into the built context of Kings Cross, that is an eclectic mix of building typologies.

A 4-5 and 5-6 storey building is located on the northern part of the site. A 35-40 storey tower is positioned at the southern end and responds to the emerging cluster of taller buildings present in Kings Cross, and forms part of the Kings Cross skyline as viewed from surrounding suburbs and the CBD. 

The tower will have a height of RL143-158 / 105-120m above ground. Nearby apartment towers include Horizon apartments (RL178 / 136m above ground), Elan (RL166 / 124m above ground) and Zenith (RL132 / 91m above ground). 

The buildings will incorporate setbacks and articulation to mitigate visual bulk and maximise view sharing and solar access to neighbouring buildings. The mix of scales and built form approach help to ensure the development responds to, and fits seamlessly within, the diverse architectural character of Kings Cross. 

The views from surrounding residential buildings have influenced the masterplan and built form. For instance, a tall and slender tower is proposed for the southern end of the site to reduce view impacts and improve solar access. A Visual Impact Assessment is being undertaken to consider impacts and will be included in the Development Application.

We have considered solar access and overshadowing and this has influenced the masterplan and built form, including for instance the decision to place the tall, slender tower on the southern end of the site.

Shadow diagrams have been undertaken to ensure that no parks to the South are impacted by the proposal, and these will be submitted as part of the Development Assessment.

Subject to planning approval for the development, the hotel will close and the site will be transformed into a vibrant mixed-use precinct with housing, including key worker housing, and retail.

The local community will benefit from the proposed development in 6 key ways:

• One third of the site (c1,500 sqm) will be publicly accessible spaces, laneways and connections
• Creates the first new public square in Kings Cross in over a decade
• Much needed housing, with c250-300 new apartments close to transport and only one train stop from the CBD 
• 5% key worker housing on site for workers such as nurses, hospitality workers, emergency services and teachers
• Exciting new retail including food & beverage and lifestyle offers that will activate the laneways and streets
• Brand new entry to Kings Cross Station, directly connecting to the new square and accessible from Victoria Street. 

Sustainability is central to the design and development of the new precinct. As detailed design progresses, the project team will refine Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) targets. Key initiatives under consideration include:

• Design will incorporate shading and high-performance, energy-efficient facades
• Integration of Connecting with Country principles, climate-focused initiatives, and healthy living strategies
• A fully electrified development to enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Use of low-embodied-carbon materials

The specific NATHERS and BASIX targets will be provided within the DA submission.

Salter Brothers acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the new precinct is proposed. We have engaged First Nations consultancy, Bangawarra, to ensure we are considering all elements of the Connecting to Country framework, and that our engagement is authentic.

While the site is not a listed heritage item, it lies within the Woolloomooloo and Potts Point Heritage Conservation Areas. Our design proposal respects the built form composition of the conservation area (low, mid, high rise).

We anticipate lodging a State Significant Development Application before the end of 2025. You can find an indicative project timeline below –

We welcome feedback from the community about the proposal, and information about how to share thoughts and comments is available here.  In addition, the SSDA application will be on public exhibition for people to view all relevant technical documents and provide comments during the formal consultation period.