Manly Beach, South Steyne: New images of $80m beach office redevelopment

Images have emerged of an $80m beachfront redevelopment that won’t have luxury apartments, but will boast three storeys of offices and a high-end eatery and bar. See the pics.

An artist's impression of a proposed three-storey commercial redevelopment of 34-35 South Steyne, Manly.

Details of an $80 million redevelopment of a prime Manly beachfront site into “luxury” offices and a high-end eatery have been revealed.

The former Whitewater Restaurant building on South Steyne will be bulldozed and replaced with three levels of offices for lease – all with sweeping views across the beach to the Tasman Sea.

There will be retail allowed on the ground floor, but the developers have indicated they were looking at leasing the space to a “high-end” restaurant and bar.

There will be no apartments.

In late 2022 the Pallas Group, the parent company of property development firm Fortis, bought the two-storey building for $23m.

A proposed restaurant on the ground floor of the three-storey commercial redevelopment. Picture: Durbach Block Jaggers

The Alice Dumping Bar is a current tenant.

The now named “White Water” development was given planning approval in November by the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel.

A panel meeting was told by a planning consultant for Fortis that “it’s quite a unique application in Manly.

“This is one of the rare applications where you don’t have an application for shop-top housing in front of you, but you have an application for 100 per cent commercial.”

Offices are set to occupy the waterfront site. Picture: Durbach Block Jaggers

Fortis described White Water as its “flagship project that would have an “end value” of $80m.

It said the “ambitious redevelopment will transform the site into luxury beachfront offices spanning three levels and feature a vibrant street-level retail precinct”.

Belle Property Commercial Northern Beaches senior executive Klaudia Brown said the development had the “potential to redefine Manly”.

The commercial redevelopment will have an ‘untapped modern aesthetic’. Picture: Durbach Block Jaggers

David Jaggers, a director at Durbach Block Jaggers, the architectural firm behind the project, said the building’s contemporary design emphasised the “untapped modern aesthetic of Manly”.

“Manly has a contemporary feel that has not been fully explored,” he said.

Mr Jaggers said the project would blend “modern design with the local ambience”.

The building at 34-35 South Steyne, Manly, that will be bulldozed. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

During the development application process neighbouring apartment residents complained to Northern Beaches Council that the height of the new building would block their view of the beach and beyond.

Others pointed out that the new facade, which includes large pane glass windows, would not fit with the character of the area.

The location of the White Water commercial development on South Steyne, Manly.

In its assessment report, the council recommended the development application be approved, but its heritage adviser had concerns about the amount of glass used in the redevelopment “in the context of the site being within the heritage conservation area and … the wider townscape of the Manly Corso and South Steyne area”.

The Manly Business Chamber supported the application.

In its submission it wrote it would offer “a diverse retail and commercial amenity that will provide an opportunity for revitalisation of a premium site in the Manly Town Centre”.