Events and fashion PR guru selling $30m Tamarama clifftop home

Peter Metzner, owner of events and fashion PR firm The ARC Factory, is selling a cliff-top Tamarama property with a price guide of $30 million.

The 562-square-metre site is essentially land value with DA plans in place for two luxury two-level residences with an infinity pool by David Mitchell Architects and landscaping by Dangar Barin Smith, or just one dwelling.

Plans are for a zinc, off-form concrete, steel and glass building with multiple terraces that capture the uninterrupted views from Tamarama and Bronte’s rolling headlands.

Metzner, who has also branched out into property development, and his partner Brad Parnes purchased three lots on the site over two decades for a total of just over $6 million. The existing build consists of six bedrooms and four bathrooms, and interiors feature floorboards and a white palette. There is a terrace, yard and direct access to the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk.

“My partner Brad Parnes and I have delivered an outstanding DA for two dwellings over four levels with large south-facing outdoor terraces, separate entrances and parking, 300 square metres of landscaped gardens and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean,” Metzner told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“It’s been a long journey over many years to get the DA approval, and we have both decided to move on and let the new owners develop the property.”

The ARC Factory was established in 1994 and has become one of Australia’s premier events and PR companies, specialising in fashion, lifestyle, sport, hospitality and entertainment.

There is also a property arm with ARC Property owning and developing Sydney boutique buildings. A multi-level residential complex on Macleay Street in Sydney’s Potts Point is due for completion in early 2027 and has sold out.

Alexander Phillips and Thomas Fuller of PPD Real Estate are accepting expressions of interest until Wednesday, December 17, in conjunction with Ben Stewart.

The guide is $15 million short of the suburb record for a house. Australian adman David Droga, who is based in New York and is known as the “Wombat of Wall Street”, purchased a basic brick bungalow on Gaerloch Avenue named Lang Syne for $45 million in 2023 and is rebuilding on the site.

Media heir turns a page

Printing scion James Hannan and his wife Laura have sold their contemporary Vaucluse home before auction for a figure well beyond the $15 million guide, local sources have revealed.

Alexander George of Bradfield BadgerFox, who held the listing with Alex Papa, declined to comment on the sale price or buyer’s identity. These details will be revealed at settlement.

James, the son of print baron Michael Hannan, is the chief executive officer of marketing agency SBM. He was previously the chief operating officer at Yatsal Distributors and IMPG, and the chief executive officer at Ovato.

Michael was the chairman of Australian printing group Ovato, which printed the stable of glossy magazines once owned by Kerry Packer, including The Australian Women’s Weekly.

The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house was purchased by the Hannans for $12 million in 2023, and has changed little since its last trade. However, there are DA-approved plans for a new five-bedroom, three-storey abode.

Bellevue Hill upgrade

Student housing boss Stephen Gaitanos and his wife Emma have purchased a six-bedroom mansion in Bellevue Hill for about $50 million, local sources have revealed.

Stephen is the managing director and group CEO of Scape Australia, which launched in 2014 and offers purpose-built student accommodation in 38 buildings across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

It’s an upgrade for the Gaitanos family, who currently own a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Hunters Hill, purchased for $4.2 million in 2018.

A caveat showing the Gaitanos family’s purchase was lodged on title. Elliott Placks and Ashley Bierman of Ray White Double Bay confirmed the sale but declined to comment on the exact sale price or buyer’s identity.

The couple purchased the property from Paul Oppenheim, the chair and co-founder of Plenary Group, and his wife Cathie-Jane. Plenary Group invests, develops and manages public infrastructure in Australia, the Middle East and the UK. The Oppenheims paid $18.8 million in 2017 for the abode.

The Gaitanos will be able to enjoy the renovations made by the Oppenheims. While the tennis court and pool were already there at the time of purchase, the Oppenheims enlisted a design team to update the interiors and preserve the period details such as leadlight windows and ornate cornices.

The three-level residence is set on 1714 square metres and comes with a gym, office, steam room, library, rumpus and billiard room, updated kitchen, multiple terraces and gardens by Will Dangar.