US Consulate Headquarter Building, Melbourne, Filled For the First Time Since September 11 Terrorist Attacks
CB Richard Ellis director Grant Tinker confirmed the lease when contacted by Capital Gain, but declined to elaborate on details including rent, which is speculated to be around $230 per square metre, per annum.
Security concerns related to the presence of the US government has made the 553 St Kilda Road office one of the most difficult in Melbourne to lease. The building has reportedly had a high vacancy rate since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
It’s been speculated the US Government paid substantially more than market rents, to compensate the former owner, GE Capital, for potential income lost. GE Capital sold the office to a German-based investor last July for $39 million.