Max Beck, Lindsay Fox commit luxury car dealer to another project

The Challenger Court investment was built speculatively.

Dutton Wholesale, a division of Dutton Automotive, has struck another major lease deal with billionaire Lindsay Fox and Max Beck for a chunk of Essendon Fields, in Melbourne’s north west.

The Dutton Wholesale site (marked) spreads 9879 square metres.

The group will be amongst the biggest occupiers at the recently launched Hart precinct.

The Hart Precinct (outlined, yellow) will cover 13 hectares.

On just under a hectare at 1 Challenger Court, the speculatively developed distribution centre contains 5134 square metres of warehousing, 503 sqm of offices, hardstand and parking.

The Challenger Court building contains 503 square metres of offices.

“[It will service] the needs of our various retail sites spread across Melbourne along with our growing national dealership network” Dutton Automotive chief executive officer, Matt Hanson, said.

The deal comes months since the group, for Dutton One, opened a 2044 sqm freeway facing dealership (technically known at 274 Lionel St), around the corner, within the Essendon Fields Auto precinct.

Spreading 305ha, Essendon Fields is being developed in stages, with an end value expected to exceed $1 billion.

Mr Beck and Mr Fox via a company also known as Essendon Fields bought the leasehold site making way for the development for c$22.5m in 1998.

Dutton extends Essendon Fields footprint

Covering 13ha, the first stage of the Hart precinct is now 50 per cent committed following a 20,000 sqm lease to Modscape for a facility, recently completed next door, and a 10,600 sqm complex for Autex Acoustics, under construction.

Aviation technology creator Elenium, aircraft assembly, maintenance and logistics management group, Leonardo, with the higher profile Linfox and Suncorp, are other occupiers.

Landscape service provider Green by Nature, formerly known as Super Gardens, also rents a tenancy, abutting an Essendon Airport runway.

The balance of parcels in this stage will contain lots between 3800 sqm-3.5ha (story continues below).

The Dutton warehouse, on 9879 sqm, was penned by Watson Young.

FDC Constructions developed it.

TMX Transform is acting for Dutton Wholesale with the delivery including fit-out.

Dutton Automotive was represented by CBRE’s Tony Tripodi.

“This transaction…was completed prior to the building’s practical completion, which highlights continuing demand for high quality industrial facilities at Essendon Fields,” the landlord’s chief executive officer, Brendan Pihan, said.

“Essendon Fields offers the only large-scale industrial greenfield site within 15 minutes of the CBD and Port of Melbourne,” he added.

“Dutton Automotive said it was happy to expand its footprint at Essendon Fields, which is the ideal position to serve Melbourne’s fast growing north-west suburbs, and given its proximity to Melbourne’s major freeway network, is also the perfect distribution hub to service the rest of Australia,” according to the executive.

Dutton Automotive is the country’s largest national wholesaler of used prestige cars.

Essendon Fields is about 12 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD.

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Marc Pallisco

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