Longriver pays $49.2m for prime city corner
Longriver has purchased a collection of CBD buildings covering the south east corner of Lonsdale and Russell streets.
The off-market deal, formalised by Emmetts’ Charles Emmett just before last year’s national lockdown (but entered into more than 12 months earlier), is worth $49.22 million.
Included is the four-storey former Continental Hotel, trading nowadays as the Heartbreaker bar, a two floor extension fronting Belman Place, and one and two level retail buildings.
All up the amalgamation, 157-173 Lonsdale Street, spreads 1137 square metres.
Zoned Capital City 1, the airspace can make way for a major skyscraper.
Elsewhere in the CBD, Longriver five years ago completed a 44-storey residential project, La Trobe Tower, with 207 dwellings.
The group is also seeking to construct a 190-key hotel, Russell Place, on several Russell St sites including the ex-Melbourne Theosophical Society headquarters (story continues below).
Busy city pocket
Longriver’s latest properties are diagonally adjacent to QV, which includes offices, a shopping/entertainment precinct and apartment towers – one rising 47 floors.
Charter Hall’s Wesley Place, which contains three offices, is also in the pocket.
PDG and Schiavello Corporation’s 318 Abode, with 55 levels and 436 dwellings, is nearby too.
Earlier this week we reported Scape paid $32.5m for a nearby former 7-Eleven with plans for a 27 storey apartment building with ground floor retail.
