Merivale has won a contract to transform a Melbourne car park into a new complex, which will include hotel accommodation, restaurants, bars, and arts spaces.
The eight-storey site at 34-60 Little Collins Street in Victoria's capital city was bought for an estimated $60 million, with the transaction to be settled in June. The complex’s operation rights are held by Dexus.
“We want to create the most exciting and iconic destination, not only for the city of Melbourne and the people of Melbourne, but an iconic destination within Australia,” said Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes.
Under Merivale’s plans, the site will host restaurants like Totti’s and MuMu, both part of Merivale’s portfolio. A hawker’s market will be built adjoining the complex, and parts of the ground and first storeys will be filled by retail spaces.
The basement areas will have two separate bars, including Merivale’s Jam Record Bar. A hotel will be included on the upper floors.
It will also feature an art gallery, a culture hub, and a set of creative studios, as well as a sky garden at the roof of the complex.
Dexus currently operates the car park and retail premises at the site, and is set to do so until 2037. Merivale plans to negotiate an agreement with Dexus, according to the company.
Another Merivale redevelopment in Melbourne, Flinders Lane’s Tomasetti House, saw its projected opening date pushed back from 2024 to 2026 this week. Hemmes credited the delay to a longer-than-expected foundation construction process, due to Victoria’s softer soil.
Tomasetti House is slated to host at least three separate restaurants.
Merivale is also renovating a set of central Sydney heritage buildings into a mixed-use complex, which would include a boutique hotel, office spaces, and seven restaurants and bars.
