This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
HIGH-profile restaurateur Chris Lucas has bought two levels of commercial space in Melbourne’s CBD worth more than $13 million that will become the new corporate headquarters of his hospitality group Lucas Restaurants.
The space is within Jeff Xu’s Golden Age Group’s 130 Little Collins Street redevelopment, on the former site of the Uniting Church’s offices, and which is the only brand-new strata office under construction in the CBD. According to Cushman & Wakefield, strata-titled office buildings account for just 5% of the Melbourne CBD’s office supply, with the vast majority of these within pre-1990s builds.
Speaking about his restaurant empire’s new HQ, Lucas said, “The building has a real sense of Melbourne style and feels very bespoke which is important to a creative business like ours”.
“It’s also within proximity to some of our restaurants namely Society, Grill Americano, Kisume, Yakimono, Lillian Brasserie and Chin Chin. Not to mention the currently under construction Batard.”
Xu said the requirements of contemporary office spaces are shifting to have a greater focus on lifestyles and wellness.
“Located in Melbourne’s prestigious eastern core, 130 Little Collins is surrounded by world-class restaurants, including Lucas Group’s own restaurants, so it makes sense that Lucas Group have chosen these premium strata offices to call home,” he said.
At 70% sold, with the majority of purchasers being owner-occupiers, Golden Age has recently appointed the new Cushman & Wakefield team for the sales campaign of 130 Little Collins, comprising Oliver Hay, Anthony Kirwan and George Davies.
”As Melbourne’s commercial property market continues to evolve, the exclusive Paris End stands out as a prime destination for businesses seeking a prestigious address in a highly sought-after location,” Hay said.
“The flight to quality has never been more evident. As construction at 130 Little Collins is well underway, the Cushman Wakefield team has been overwhelmed with interest from those wanting to own a piece of commercial space in a state-of-the-art tower within the Paris end of Melbourne’s CBD.
“This is evident via the high-quality sophisticated occupants who have already purchased within the tower,” said Oliver.
Roberts Co took over the build in 2022 following the ProBuild acquisition for the 28-level office tower, which is a collaboration between Cox Architecture, Hecker Guthrie and Jack Merlo.
Levels two to 27 consist of column-free floorplates offering sun-filled office spaces with maximised floor-to-ceiling heights of 2.7 metres.
A communal garden rooftop terrace offers a space for casual meetings and lunches and at night, transforms into a space to entertain co-workers and clients
Golden Age secured a $132 million first mortgage construction facility from MaxCap late in 2021 for the project.
The project is due for completion in early 2024.
