A 35-square-metre triangular block on Anderson Street in Neutral Bay that sold at auction for $189,000 is the subject of a development application for an 11.5-square-metre coffee kiosk, in what amounts to a $377,000 bet on the morning coffee habits of lower north shore commuters.
The block, a former Ausgrid electricity substation site next to the Neutral Bay Club, has sat as a triangular patch of grass since the original brick substation was demolished in 2023. Its owner, Maurizio Serapiglia, has now lodged plans with the North Sydney planning authority to transform the wedge-shaped parcel into a single-storey takeaway kiosk designed by Graphio Architects and lodged by Sky Planning.
If approved, the kiosk would serve barista coffee, hot drinks and pre-packaged snacks, sandwiches and confectionery seven days a week, including public holidays, between 7am and 7pm. No more than three staff and around three customers would occupy the site at any one time.
A very small building on a very small block
The proposed kiosk at 11.5 square metres is, for context, smaller than a single garage. The block it would sit on at 35 square metres is roughly the size of a double garage. Together, they make for one of the more compact commercial propositions the lower north shore has seen in recent memory.
The construction cost is estimated at $187,600 — almost precisely what the land itself sold for. Add land and build together and the total commitment sits at around $377,000, all riding on the appetite of Neutral Bay residents, Neutral Bay Club members and passers-by for a well-made flat white.
The design includes a green roof planted with gardens, accessible only by staff via a side staircase behind a locked metal gate. There is no customer seating, no kitchen, no cooking, no alcohol and no vehicle access. Two staff bicycle spaces are included in the plans, along with a single small sign and CCTV.
From a substation auction to a DA
The Anderson Street block’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. Ausgrid, the electricity network operator, sold three tiny former substation parcels at auction in 2025, and all three cleared their price guides by significant margins. The Anderson Street block was listed with a $60,000 guide by Scott Thornton of Bresic Whitney and drew scores of registered bidders before selling for $189,000 — more than three times its guide — in a result that surprised even experienced lower north shore agents.
At the time of the sale it was unclear what the buyer planned to do with the land. The block is zoned for private recreation, a category that permits a kiosk with planning approval, provided it comes in under the 40-square-metre cap. At 11.5 square metres, the proposed kiosk sits well within that limit.
An Ausgrid green power box remains on the verge outside the site.
A handy stop for the Anderson Street crowd
The plans pitch the kiosk as a practical amenity for locals, walkers and Neutral Bay Club members using the adjacent grounds. Anderson Street connects Military Road to the club and the foreshore parklands beyond, carrying a consistent stream of foot traffic through the morning peak that a well-positioned takeaway kiosk is designed to capture.
The application was lodged on 4 June 2026 and is pending assessment. The North Sydney planning authority has not yet made a determination. Community members can view the application and lodge submissions through the North Sydney planning portal.
Published 18-June-2026
