This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
DESPITE the challenges of building during COVID-19, John Holland has reached a milestone at 275 George St Sydney with completion of the external sandstone and glass façade.
The project features 7,500 sqm of office and retail space spread over 15 floors and is due to be completed in November. The development was forward sold to Japan’s Daibiru Corporation in 2018, setting a record 4.5% capitalisation rate for a premium boutique office tower in the Sydney CBD.
General manager building NSW/ACT Matthew Bourne said the team had proven they could work safely during the pandemic with the construction of the boutique office building on track to be completed by the end of the year.
Staggered lunchbreaks, reduced numbers in the building hoist, provision of hand-sanitiser, routine temperature checks and staggered pre-start crews of smaller numbers were just some of the precautions John Holland has taken to ensure work could continue safely.
The supply chain for building materials was assessed each week and protocols put in place to find alternative suppliers of overseas material that might impacted by COVID-19 delays.
“This building was under construction when the pandemic hit and because we are a fully integrated infrastructure and property company, we were able adjust our procedures swiftly to facilitate safe working in a commercial environment,” Bourne said.
