The transformation of St Andrew’s Anglican Church in the heart of Lane Cove is underway with the transfer of custodianship to development partner Traders In Purple this week.

Site works are set to begin this month ahead of the construction of Finrose, a collection of 48 luxury apartments, a 400-seat auditorium for ministry and community uses and the adaptive reuse of the original 1924-built church.

The church conducted its final service on Easter Sunday and parishioners have since been congregating at Lane Cove Public School and Holy Trinity Mowbray in Chatswood before returning to their greatly expanded and improved place of worship in 2028.

Marking the handover, Traders In Purple Development Director Emma Ellis thanked the Senior Minister, Darren Waters, for entrusting Traders with such a significant renewal.

“We have been on a genuinely collaborative journey together to reach this major milestone and we are now excited to begin bringing our shared vision to life,” said Ms Ellis.

“The urban renewal of St Andrew’s will benefit a broad cross section of the Lane Cove community. We launched the sale of apartments earlier this year and have had an extremely positive response especially from long-time locals planning to downsize and enjoy village life right in the heart of Lane Cove.”

Redevelopment of the site has come about through Sydney Anglican Property (SAP)’s Urban Renewal Program, in partnership with Sustainable Development Group. SAP Chief Executive, Ross Jones, said the program was designed to deliver innovative developments on existing church sites in a way that serves both the church and the local community.

“Anglican churches are an integral part of their local communities,” Mr Jones said. “So, most importantly, this project will provide the congregation with a fit-for-purpose ministry centre from which to worship and serve the Lane Cove community.

“But to be able to do that while also contributing a stock of new housing and much-needed community facilities in the heart of the Lane Cove town centre, is an extra blessing.”

Senior Minister Darren Waters said the redevelopment would deliver widespread community benefits. “For over 100 years, we have been sharing not only the gospel but our church facilities with the local community and these wonderful new facilities will allow us to continue to do so for generations to come. I know Traders In Purple shares that vision, so I’m pleased to place the site in their capable hands.”

Ms Ellis said the original heritage church would be retained to serve as a portal to the new ministry and community space from Rosenthal Avenue. Finrose has a separate entry on Finlayson Street.

“The design sensitively marries the old and the new and allows the co-existence of residential and community functions,” said Ms Ellis. “More than 400 people can be accommodated in the auditorium, double the current capacity. This is a flexible space that can be easily adapted for ministry, performance, meetings and events.”

Architect Rido Pin, Director at Plus Studio, said the project presented a unique opportunity to add to the urban amenity of Lane Cove.

“We design a lot of residential buildings but this was a unique collaboration with the developer and the church looking for a place to grow their community,” said Mr Pin. “It was an interesting journey with many layers to create an environment fitting to the church and the wider community.

“Drawing inspiration from the site, the design references the local sandstone and the heritage façade of the church. The architecture is very modern but there is still something mystical about it. It has the gravitas of a building that sits there unapologetically and has a purpose in grounding people in their community.

“When you arrive at the entry lobby you are guided by the light. Churches have always played with light and in this new modern building you will be able to see the roof form of the old heritage church. It is a nice transition from human scale to the larger spaces.”

While the 1924 St Andrew’s Church is being retained, the more recently built meeting space, used by the Parish since 1965, will make way for the redevelopment.

Sustainable Development Group Managing Director, Richard Ollerhead, said he was delighted to see the project coming to fruition: “SDG has been working to deliver a fantastic outcome on this site from the very earliest stages of the project.

“Having first initiated a partnership with the parish, seeing that develop into a sophisticated collaboration with SAP and Traders In Purple that has brought us to the point of construction, is hugely encouraging.

“This inspiration continues to drive the work we’re doing on a number of other sites with SAP and Traders In Purple to serve both the church and local communities.”