Golden Age approved to build 27-storey office at 130 Little Collins Street

The 27-level office earmarked for 130 Little Collins Street.

Melbourne’s CBD is prepped for an office building burst with two projects recently approved and another set to start construction on a speculative basis.

Last week, City of Melbourne permitted an application by Jeff Xu’s Golden Age Group to build a 27-storey one (artist’s impression, right) at 130 Little Collins Street.

The Cox Architecture penned project with Hecker Guthrie interiors is designed with garden terraces. It will also contain ground floor retail and a three storey basement car park.

Site was a permit-ready hotel

Golden Age paid $40.5m for the 651 square metre Capital City zoned site at 130 Little Collins Street last June

The vendor, the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, had occupied a mid-rise building on the block since 1967.

Mr Xu acquired it permit-ready for a 26-level, 184-suite hotel, applying to re-purpose the approved shell into an office late last year.

West end offices approved, speculated

At the opposite end of the city, V-Leader was two weeks ago approved to replace a low-rise office at 600 Lonsdale St, on the north west corner of King St, with a 40-floor tower containing 24,400 sqm of A-grade area and a 280 room guesthouse (story continues below).

The developer, controlled by Andy Zhang, acquired that site for $48m two years ago after striking a deal with 15 strata-titled owners.

Elsewhere in this part of town, Colliers International’s Zak Seccull and Edward Knowles recently launched a leasing campaign for the Argo Group which will speculatively build a 23-level, 24,400 sqm workplace at 570 Little Bourke St (artist’s impression, below right) – a site which also includes addresses from 204-230 King St.

At the north east corner of Little Bourke and King streets, Argo Group’s 23 level office will contain 24,000 square metres of area and incorporate the Great Western Hotel’s facade.

Designed by Amsterdam-based UNStudio, which recently penned components of Dexus’ 80 Collins Street, and Melbourne-based XO Projects, this building incorporates the historic facade of the Great Western Hotel.

Floorplates vary between 700-1000 sqm, with some levels to contain outdoor terraces.

The commercial proposal replaces a residential one by a different owner, for a slightly taller complex which would have been called Amber Melbourne.

In April, Charter Hall was approved for a major two tower commercial village at 555 Collins St and 55 King St. A month earlier Dexus won permission to construct a 26-floor, 22,727 sqm office at 52-60 Collins St.

Three months ago, Mirvac applied to develop a 31-storey, 44,000 sqm office at 383 La Trobe St – a site between the Republic Tower and The Royal Melbourne Mint.

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Marc Pallisco

A former property analyst and print journalist, Marc is the publisher of realestatesource.com.au.