A landmark office tower on Sydney’s lower north shore will be at the centre of a vibrant new precinct incorporating 637 apartments, a new retail and dining project, supermarket, civic plaza and public library.

Located at 558 Pacific Highway, 16,738sqm tower is due for completion in late 2022 and will be a key component of the $1.6 billion “88 by JQZ” project.

Designed by PTW Architects, the site will incorporate a sculptural glass façade, marble lobby and offer views to the city and over the new civic plaza and St Leonards Town Centre.

It also has outdoor terraces on levels two and eight, 121 commercial car parking spaces and 316 public car parking spaces, and direct connectivity to St Leonards station via an underground, through-site link.

The entire 88 by JQZ project is due to be finished the following year.

JQZ founder and managing director Jianqiu Zhang said the A-grade office tower was central to the group’s plans to develop a “live work and play” precinct, which taps into growing demand for high quality, suburban workspaces.

“We identified a clear gap in the St Leonards market, which is dominated by aging office stock and where a growing number of buildings have been converted to residential use – leaving limited quality options for office occupiers,” he said.

The new office tower will be the centre of the new district

“A key differentiator for this building will be the associated amenity, including an immersive, four level retail and dining precinct, featuring a laneway eat street, bars, alfresco cafe’s and lifestyle offerings, allowing people to remain engaged pre and post their business day.”

CBRE and Colliers International will handle the leasing of the property, with net office rentals will averaging $850/sqm-$900/sqm.

Colliers International national director Dan Walker said the property was world-class.

“The flexible floor plates will accommodate both multinational, multi-level corporate headquarters and boutique creative spaces, allowing for collaborative workplace environments,” he said.

“Other attributes include leading edge technology and world-class wellness facilities, including high quality end-of-trip facilities, with a target of achieving 5-star Green Star and 5-star NABERS ratings,” he said.

CBRE North Sydney managing director Rachel Vincent echoed the sentiments.

“558 Pacific Highway has placemaking at the forefront, with destination retail, train connectivity and a strong focus on wellness and convenience,” she said.

“Given the lack of available contiguous office space on Sydney’s north shore, the project will fill a major gap and appeal to a broad range of occupiers seeking new corporate headquarters.”