Occupied by the Anglican Church for more than a century, Finrose, at the corner of Rosenthal Avenue and Finlayson Street, will deliver 48 luxury apartments, a 400-seat auditorium for ministry and community use and adaptive reuse of the original 1924-built St Andrews parish church.

Finrose is one of two Traders In Purple’s projects in partnership with Sydney Anglican Property that will serve the dual purpose of catering for future generations at the church and delivering more housing and community benefits.

The significance of the groundbreaking was underlined by the attendance of the Anglican Bishop of North Sydney, Chris Edwards. Lane Cove is one of a number of locations across Sydney where Sydney Anglican Property is working to deliver additional housing on an active church site, alongside brand new, fit-for-purpose ministry facilities.

Traders In Purple co-founder and Executive Director Charles Daoud said the church’s adoption of innovative ways to deliver more housing through urban renewal demonstrated both foresight and vision.

“We applaud the civic minded approach taken by Sydney Anglican Property in putting valuable, well-located church land to work in a way that sees the benefits of urban renewal shared by the wider community,” said Mr Daoud.

“Sydney is falling well short of all forms of housing and many approved developments are not proceeding to construction. The fact that we are putting shovels in the ground and moving ahead with construction of Finrose is a significant milestone worth celebrating.

“We are excited to deliver 48 beautiful new homes and a flexible ministry and community space that will also serve the needs of Lane Cove’s vibrant arts community who have long been seeking a quality new venue for rehearsals and performance.”

Sydney Anglican Property Chief Executive, Ross Jones, said the project at Lane Cove is the first of its kind under SAP’s Urban Renewal Program, being rolled out in partnership with Sustainable Development Group.

“There are thriving Anglican churches right across Sydney operating on very well-located sites, but with aging facilities that struggle to meet the needs of a modern congregation,” Mr Jones said.

“By co-locating housing and community space above brand-new church facilities on these sites, we are able to serve both spiritually and practically, as we respond to the needs of the local community.

“It’s an innovative approach that allows church-owned land to bless not only the congregation, but the communities we’ve been at the heart of for generations. In Lane Cove we’re pleased to have a development partner in Traders In Purple, who shares that vision. We hope this is the first of many successful collaborations.”

Mr Daoud said Finrose had been well received by the market, setting a new apartment price record of $5.5 million for Lane Cove after launching earlier this year.

“The record sale reflects the quality and generosity of the apartments and the desirability of Lane Cove, which was named Australia’s most liveable suburb in 2025,” said Mr Daoud.

“Finrose has been scaled to integrate with the neighbourhood, a boutique development of just 48 apartments. For those wanting to downsize in their local neighbourhood or raise a family in a well-established and connected suburb, Finrose presents a unique and rare opportunity.

“It is located opposite the popular community hub, The Canopy, and offers a genuine walkable lifestyle, close to local shopping, leisure facilities and schools. Lane Cove is one of only a handful of Sydney suburbs that has retained its village character with high street shops and pedestrian only zones that allow a sense of community to flourish.”

DESIGN

Mr Daoud emphasised Traders In Purple’s experience and expertise in adaptive reuse of heritage church properties, with its transformation of a former church and Sunday School hall in Cronulla into boutique residences collecting multiple industry awards.

“The same sensitivity we displayed in delivering The Abbey at Cronulla has been applied in the adaptation of the heritage church at Lane Cove.

“The design marries the old and the new and allows the co-existence of residential and community functions with entries on separate streets. More than 400 people can be accommodated in the auditorium, double the current capacity.”

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 that also delivered premium residential homes.

“Drawing inspiration from the site, the design references the local sandstone and the heritage façade of the church. The architecture is very modern but the ministry space still has 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 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.”

Read more in The Sydney Morning Herald.