News & Community Events

Sydneysiders north of the Georges River have finally discovered Cronulla. Where once The Shire was a very tightly held market, with locals affectionately calling it the insular peninsula, today there are people moving in from out of the area, attracted by the laidback coastal lifestyle and relative affordability.

And in a show of confidence for the top end of the market, inquiry is flooding in for Cronulla’s newest residential project, Solstice.

A boutique block of just 15 apartments set right opposite the beach, Solstice is the latest project from GNK Developments. The local company has teamed with Maritima Developments to offer downsizers and professionals a new level of luxury in Cronulla.

Sales agent for the project Dennis Vertzayias, Laver Residential Projects director, says Cronulla has really lifted its game when it comes to high quality new development and Solstice will be the pinnacle of what’s on offer.

Vertzayias says he’s seen a two-fold increase in out of area buyers investing in $5 million-plus properties since the mid 2010s.

“It’s not the insular peninsula any more,” he says. “We’ve got the beautiful beach, a real community and village feel, some incredible fine dining that wasn’t there 10 years ago – it’s really come a long way. People from outside the area have recognised what an incredibly great place it is to live.

“You get a sense that you’re outside Sydney. It almost feels like you’re  in Noosa or on the south coast. Cronulla’s got a very relaxed feel to it.”

As a lifelong local, builder developer Geoff Mailey of GNK Developments, is not the least bit surprised that Cronulla has finally been “discovered”.

“We’ve got some of the best waterways in all of Sydney, it’s a beautiful spot,” he says. “There are boating areas galore, water skiing, we’ve got the national park. From Solstice you can walk to the ferry in 10 minutes, spend a day over at Bundeena and Jibbon Beach, then motor back at your leisure.

“If you walk 50 metres from your front door you’re on the beachfront with magnificent surfing, swimming or ocean pools, and 200 metres down the road you’ve got some fabulous restaurants. We’ve got four surf clubs within 1.5 kilometres and the North Cronulla Club is about to go through a major overhaul. The Feros family has taken out a long term lease and will be spending a lot of money putting in a beachfront bar and eatery.”

The Feros venture will join a growing list of foodie hotspots including The Pines, C.C Babqoc, Sealevel, Somersault and Giro Osteria.

For cocktails in sophisticated surrounds, the locals head to Papa Js, and to Next Door for Sunday live music and share plates overlooking the beach.

Mailey says new boutique fashion stores have opened their doors and locals can also find high fashion a five-minute drive away at Miranda Westfields.

Little wonder, then, that some of the inquiry for Solstice is coming from residents of the eastern suburbs who are accustomed to having top amenity on their doorstep, alongside the luxury on offer within the building itself.

“Buyers will be pleasantly surprised at the similarities with the eastern suburbs,” says Mailey. “We have made sure they’ll have every amenity they’re going to want. There’s plenty of car parking because they’ll have expensive cars, and a few toys they will want to house in the basement. Some of the buyers will have families or will love to entertain so we go to the extent of putting two ovens in, a wine fridge, integrated fridges, top of the line Zip taps so that chilled sparkling and boiling water are on tap all of the time.”

Every apartment comes with natural stone benchtops, Gaggenau appliances, a smart home system, timber floors, integrated laundry appliances and heated bathroom floors. The large, curved balconies make the most of ocean views.

The boutique size of the development is also proving to be a drawcard, although with Mailey and his business partner each retaining a penthouse apartment, that means only 13 dwellings up for sale.

“They’re not the type of product that’s going to turn over year in, year out,” says Mailey. “A lot of local people park themselves on waterfronts for 25, 30 years so it’s a limited opportunity to grab one of these apartments because I don’t think they’re going to change hands very often.”

Read the Domain article here.