Billionaire Hospitality Mogul Justin Hemmes has bought an eight -storey parking lot in Central Melbourne with the promise to bring 'Life and Vitality' and a Sky Garden to the CBD.
The Merivale Group published plans to build a series of attractions on The 'Parkade' on 34/60 Little Collins Street, including a gallery, 'Incubator Hub' for artists, boutique hotel and live music.
'This is our braviest and most innovative project that we have started so far; A vision that I have conceptualized and refined for ten years, Hemmes said.
'Revitalization and The re -use of this understood but beautiful site has the potential to be an incredible addition to Melbourne's fabric. '
The sale of the Parkade was approved by the City of Melbourne Council during a meeting on Tuesday evening, agreed with the settlement for June 2025.
Mayor Nick Reece greeted Hemmes as' king of the hospitality industry of Sydney 'and his hope of' The future of Melbourne as a hospitality tour 'force' cementing.
“It is a huge voice of trust that Merivale has chosen to invest in Melbourne,” he said.
“This entertainment area will be immediately up to the door of the world-class theater district of Melbourne and create hundreds of jobs and generate millions of dollars for the local economy.”
Mr Hemmes (depicted with partner Madeline Holtznagel) drives a new Melbourne location
The Merivale group said that the Melbourne CBD is shining for life and vitality on a scale and of an international quality '
In the published plans, the group said that the site is not a nightclub But one 'Creative, social district ', including for families, creatives and tourists.
But people went to social media to beat the plans, with some mourning for the loss of much needed parking in the city center.
“Who in the world knows whether Melbourne wants or needs an” entertainment area of ​​world class “?” A user wrote.
“Do we not already have one without putting together an unknown 'Hospo Royalty' so far?”
Another criticized the plans as 'not very smart': '940 motor rooms to be removed from the city's entertainment/ theater district and sold at a bargain price.'
But others shared the hope that the Parkade would be good for the CBD.
“Destination Hospitality for the city of Melbourne needed desperate to breathe new life into vitality at the end of Collins Street Melbourne.”
'This will bring some energy into a dead bag of the CBD. Great idea. But where will people park? '
The Parkade is being replaced by a series of different attractions that appeal to international and domestic tourists
The process from planning to construction will take a while, since the real estate company Dexus has a lease with the council to operate an eight -storey parking space on the site until June 2037.
The sale of the country does not end the existing lease.
This means that Merivale and Dexus must reach a mutual agreement to change the use of the site as a parking space before 2037.
Hemmes is also investigating an important redevelopment of his flagship Ivy district in Sydney.
