Uniting Church of Australia to Develop Major Office Building at Lonsdale Street Complex
Spokeswoman Kirsty Bennett confirmed the Church has applied to the Melbourne City Council and the Department of Planning and Community Development, to build a 28,500 square metre office building at its 118 – 148 Lonsdale Street property.
The new building will include about 20 levels of offices, and four levels of underground car parking.
Ms Bennett says the Church will occupy about 6,000 square metres of space at the new building, with the remaining 22,500 square metres expected to be sold as strata office suites.
The Church will team with developer Hamptons Development Group to build the tower. Hamptons Development Group recently redeveloped the Chevron apartments at 519 – 539 St Kilda Road.
News of the Wesley Uniting Church site application comes two years after the Church obtained a necessary approval from Heritage Victoria, to demolish the Princess Mary Club building at 118 Lonsdale Street, to make way for the new office building.
Built in 1926, the Princess Mary Club used to house nurses visiting from the country, but has over the years become dilapidated.
Proceeds from the sale of office suites will fund conservation works to a manse, schoolhouse and caretakers cottage – all other buildings on the site. Some work will also be carried out on Nicholas Hall, and the Church.
The new office building is speculated will have an end value of about $100 million, and could be under construction by the end of the year.
Tenants currently occupying space at the Lonsdale Street site include The Big Issue, and Lifeline. These tenants are likely to work from the new office, upon completion.
