Hickory quits Cremorne for South Melbourne
Hickory Group is quitting a headquarters it built for itself at Cremorne for another, much closer to the city, in South Melbourne.
The 39-year old construction company’s outgoing full-floor office, level two at 101 Cremorne Street, is now for lease as a whole or in part.
Penned by Perth architect Robert Andary about 15 years ago, the three storey building at the south east corner of Kelso St was also Colorado Group’s base before it went into administration nine years ago.
The company which took over that (top floor) area – Enterprise Support – was shortly after acquired by Datacom which rents at various locations in and around Melbourne.
The Cremorne St workplace is well-known in leasing circles for its relatively large (c1000 sqm) floorplates, A-grade quality and city views.
Elsewhere in the street, Afterpay is speculated to be pre-committing to an office earmarked for #167-169.
On Friday we reported MySize managing director Andrew Nissen co-appointed Colliers International to lease swank warehouse-converted-offices within the Rosella complex at 6 Palmer Parade, Cremorne.
Last month, developer Icon completed an eight-storey workplace at 600 Church St, also in the pocket (the builder sold this asset for $50m to Bayley Stuart on a funds-through basis in 2018).
Also, recently, agents have started seeking tenants to fill the nearby Ginger Recording Studio at 7-11 Jessie St, which was successfully auctioned last December with vacant possession for $2.8m.
Businesswoman and philanthropist Naomi Milgrom also spent $95m on an office in Cremorne last October.
The gentrifying former industrial precinct, which shares the same postcode as Richmond, is three kilometres east of Melbourne (story continues below).
Hickory’s new HQ
Hickory, meanwhile, earlier this month relocated its headquarters to part of a newly constructed Elenberg Fraser designed office at 68 Clarke St (pictured, bottom) – walking distance to the CBD.
The landlord is seeking tenants for the areas it isn’t taking, again via Colliers International.
Interestingly, despite the property being classified as Southbank – the address is being marketed as South Melbourne, which is arguably more revered by creative and IT-sector industry businesses it is chasing.
Market Lane, as this project has been branded, will contain 170 car parks and 10,200 sqm of area around a central atrium, configured with ground floor retail and terraces.
Last August travel website Luxury Escapes committed to 1590 sqm.
Like Cremorne, brokers Chris Meehan and Matt Cosgrove are marketing the Clarke Street building’s oversized (c1500-2300 sqm) floor-plates, high-quality fit-out and city views.
Hickory was established in Melbourne by fourth generation builders, brothers Michael and George Argyrou.
With a leadership team including George Abraham as managing director, it now builds nationally – usually on a contracting basis – and employs over 700 people.
