Chris Lucas quietly snares Melbourne building from landlord
EXCLUSIVE
Chris Lucas has snared the historic Melbourne building, the lower levels of which house his Japanese restaurant Kisume, for $23.5 million.
The off-market deal comes two years since the executive passed up the chance to buy 175 Flinders Lane from his then-landlord, businesswoman and philanthropist Helen Skyes, following a public marketing campaign when it fetched $25.2m from Jackalope Hotel founder Louis Li.
Mr Li owns the neighbouring c1911 Maria George Building and was expected to amalgamate the upper six floors of #175, currently configured with offices, into one swank hospitality venue.
Instead, the property was relisted off-market late last year, according to sources. Daniel Wolman and Oliver Hay, who recently moved to Cushman & Wakefield, are rumoured to be the agents but declined to comment.
Mr Li also recently offered up for sale St Kilda’s c1920s Prince of Wales hotel with c$50m-plus price hopes.
Chris Lucas homes in on Melbourne’s ‘Paris end’
Elsewhere in Melbourne’s east, Mr Lucas is spending $10m renovating the former Society restaurant at 23 Bourke St as a French eatery, Batard (story continues below).
The businessman paid $7.2m for that three level red brick building in March, 2021.
The executive’s Lucas Restaurants also controls several spaces in Dexus’ 80 Collins St – including the replacement Society.
In May, Mr Lucas outlaid $13m for two contiguous strata office floors of Golden Age Group’s 130 Little Collins St, which is nearing completion, for a company headquarters.
Last month, meanwhile, we reported Justin Hemmes’ Merivale outlaid over $15m for 12-18 Meyers Place, between Bourke Street and Little Collins, also with plans to occupy (that deal came two years since the Sydney businessman entered the Melbourne market with the c$43m purchase of Tomasetti House at 277-279 Flinders Ln).
Also around the city’s exclusive south east corner, Christian Dior recently spent $39m for the c1902 ex-Metcalfe & Barnard warehouse on the intersection of Flinders Ln and Russell Street, to occupy.
Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
