That odd wedge of grass on Anderson Street — the one that had all of Neutral Bay talking when it sold for a jaw-dropping $189,000 last year — may soon have a purpose. A development application lodged with North Sydney Council proposes an Anderson Street coffee kiosk on the site: a compact, takeaway-only structure that would serve barista coffee and light snacks to locals, walkers, and members of the neighbouring Neutral Bay Club.
The block at 9 Anderson Street measures just 35 square metres in total — roughly the footprint of a double garage. It was one of three small, surplus Ausgrid parcels that went to auction in early 2025, each previously used as easement or substation access sites. This particular lot had housed a brick electricity substation built in 1965, which was demolished in 2023, leaving behind the distinctive triangular shape. When it went to market with a $60,000 guide, few predicted what came next: a bidding war that pushed the final price to $189,000 — more than three times the guide.
Now, the owner named in the planning documents, Maurizio Serapiglia, has revealed what he has in mind for the land. The proposed kiosk, designed by Graphio Architects and submitted through planning consultancy Sky Planning, would occupy just 11.5 square metres — well within North Sydney Council’s 40-square-metre cap for kiosk structures on land zoned private recreation, where this type of use is permissible with council approval.
The structure would be single-storey with no kitchen, no cooking facilities, no seating, and no alcohol. The menu would be limited to barista-made coffee and hot drinks, along with pre-packaged sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, confectionery and snacks. Proposed trading hours are 7am to 7pm, seven days a week including public holidays, with no more than three staff and approximately three customers permitted on site at any one time.
The plans include a planted green roof, though this would be accessible to staff only via a side staircase behind a locked gate, and used solely for maintenance purposes. Other features include CCTV, a single small sign, and two bike parking spaces for staff. There is no on-site car parking or vehicle access.
The estimated construction cost is $187,600 — almost identical to the purchase price of the land itself. Combined, the owner’s total investment in the project would reach approximately $376,000, staking a considerable sum on what the planning documents describe as a “small-scale, takeaway-only” operation designed to minimise impact on nearby residents.
The development application was lodged on 4 June 2026. North Sydney Council is yet to make a determination.
Published 24-June-2026
