This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
DEVELOPER Tim Gurner has bought into a $1.75 billion project in Melbourne’s Docklands, entering into a joint venture with the Liberman family-backed City Harbour to develop one of the last major sites that he believes could transform the precinct.
The 18,000 sqm island infill site at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade is controlled by the City Harbour development consortium which holds the development rights. Gurner will seek to amen to the existing planning scheme “to unlock the full potential” of the site.
Multiple mixed-use towers, each distinctive in character, form and function, and including include a mix of luxury build-to-rent and build-to-sell residences, hotel and sky-high hospitality venues, will float above a mixed-use, retail and commercial precinct which will anchor the site. A soon-to-be-unveiled public realm attraction be a “huge drawcard to the area” and connect in with what will becomes Melbourne’s largest and most important wellness, recovery and performance centre, Gurner said.
“From a destinational and tourist perspective, it will be something Melbourne has never seen before – it will create a lot of excitement, and drive huge interest to the area and be something truly different for Docklands,” Gurner said.
Bordered by Wurundjeri Way, Dudley Street, La Trobe Street and Harbour Esplanade, the site will offer immediate Quay and harbour-front views.
Revised plans are currently being finalised, with the aim of significantly increasing the size of the ground-floor public realm, with a focus on pedestrian circulation, public activation, “lagoon-like greenery” and communal shared spaces.
Plans are expected to be lodged with Melbourne City Council in the current quarter.
The Docklands is viewed by many to have never lived up to its development ambitions over the past 20-plus years. Built on the western edge of the Melbourne CBD, despite being heavily populated by apartment towers and office buildings, it has failed to consistently attract major crowds in the day and in the night, and like nearly all central urban areas was heavily hit by COVID. Gurner is confident the new project can change things.
“As the business continues to diversify and grow we are heavily focussed on large-scale, mixed-use precincts like this where we can create something with real point of difference and enough scale to transform the area around it,” Gurner said.
“This will be like nothing ever delivered in Melbourne and really put Docklands on the global map.
“There has been some great development progress in Docklands over the years, however what we are going to deliver here will create a true heart and soul of Docklands where the community and visitors can come and embrace life.
“I’ve always loved the Docklands – I lived there with my wife for many years, and I always wanted to put my own stamp on it, but we needed a site that was large enough to be transformative – we’ll be creating a new world-class precinct, which will take the area to another level and put it on the world stage in terms of architecture, design and luxury property.”
Melbourne-based Gurner has been expanding across the country in 2022, recently setting up offices in Brisbane and Sydney while making an entry into the Adelaide and Perth markets, and has a national pipeline of $10 billion in high-end residential projects.
He has moved further into the fledgling build-to-rent market, with a new project in St Kilda Junction joining his ultra-luxe St Moritz project in the suburb.
