Jerry Schwartz pivots to penthouse plan after helipad setback
Hotel magnate Jerry Schwartz has abandoned his long-held ambition to install a rooftop helipad on top of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, opting instead for a luxury residential expansion.
After years of navigating planning bureaucracy and commissioning costly feasibility studies, Schwartz’s proposal for a helipad was ultimately rejected by the local authority. Labelling the New South Wales Government’s decision as “shortsighted”, he has now submitted plans to Placemaking NSW to construct two four-bedroom penthouses atop the 35-storey hotel.
“I think it was a shortsighted decision to deprive Sydney of a helipad, as the Sofitel would have been the ideal location for installing such a facility,” he said.
“However, we’ve always had the capacity to add extra floors to the building in line with the original DA approval and with Sydney now rebuilding its international tourism and business markets, this is the ideal time to add luxury accommodation.”
Each 400 square metre apartment would feature exclusive lift access, while one is set to include a lap pool above the existing executive lounge. Estimated to be worth A$10 million apiece, the penthouses will offer expansive views over Pyrmont Bridge.
“We’ve always had the capacity to add extra floors... this is the ideal time to add luxury accommodation,” Schwartz said.
Opened in 2017 at a cost of A$500 million, the Sofitel was Sydney CBD’s first new-build luxury hotel of the century, featuring 590 rooms, a champagne bar and a day spa launched in 2023.
Separately in Pyrmont, the Gallon wine bar and adjacent bottle shop on Harris Street are being offered for sale for the first time in 35 years. The Victorian Regency-style buildings, classed as historic since 1978, sit on an 883 square metre site.
Meanwhile, Western Sydney’s tourism infrastructure continues to strengthen with the development of the Panthers Precinct and Pullman Sydney Penrith, ahead of the 2026 opening of Western Sydney International Airport.
Elsewhere, a ten-unit boarding house at 28 Ross Street, Forest Lodge, has sold for A$4.8 million to a local investor. The fully leased, three-storey property is located within walking distance of the University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Jonathan Jackson, 14th April 2025
