Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate Asia have acquired the One Circular Quay development in Australia for around A$800m (€539m) from AW Holdings.

Lendlease will undertake the A$3bn development on Sydney’s harbour foreshore, which will include upmarket residential apartments and a luxury hotel.

Mitsubishi Estate will hold an initial stake of 19.9% in the joint venture, and, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, Mitsubishi Estate will lift its stake to 66.7% with Lendlease reducing its interest to 33.3%.

The Japanese investor is already a joint venture partner in the adjoining A$2.2bn Sydney Place project, which Lendlease is currently developing.

It is also a partner in two other projects - Lendlease’s Residences One, in Barangaroo, also on Sydney Harbour foreshore, and a fourth project in Melbourne.

Yuzo Nishiyama, head of Australia, Mitsubishi Estate Asia, said this joint venture further strengthened the long-standing relationship between Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate.

Global chief executive officer and managing director, Tony Lombardo said: “The acquisition of One Circular Quay is consistent with our objective of replenishing the Australian development pipeline and working with investment partners to improve return on invested capital.�

Tom Mackellar, managing director of development, Lendlease Australia, described One Circular Quay as “undoubtedly one of the most desired addresses to live and stay in the world�.

The transaction ends the chequered recent history of one of Sydney’s best-known sites, previously occupied by Gold Fields House.

In 2014, China’s Dalian Wanda Group bought Gold Fields House for A$425m to develop a billion-dollar project and when Dalian Wanda got into financial trouble, in 2018, the site was onsold to AW Holdings.

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