Lendlease woos AMP to Melbourne Quarter
Lendlease has scored a blue chip tenant for Melbourne Quarter, with financial services giant AMP signing on.
No stranger to Docklands, AMP will take 9,720sqm of space within the currently under construction One Melbourne Quarter on 699 Collins Street. AMP already maintains a sizeable presence at 750 Collins Street within the wider Batman's Hill precinct.
Already tethered to the new 13-storey commercial tower are engineering firm Arup and Lendlease itself, with the project acting as the developer/builder's Victorian headquarters.
The tower is currently midway through its structural phase, and is slated for completion during September 2018. As part of the first commercial tower's delivery, a sky park will be built and will look over Collins Street, providing a much needed burst of greenery to this section of Batman's Hill.
Ultimately the precinct will include extensive open public spaces plus 40 new retail shops and cafes/restaurants. Aside from the 24,000sqm plus of premium office space within 699 Collins Street, future Melbourne Quarter commercial towers at 681 Collins Street and 691 Collins Street are expected to add a further 104,000sqm of space to the area.
Commenting on AMP's move, Lendlease’s Managing Director for Urban Regeneration and Infrastructure Development, Mark Menhinnitt understands that Melbourne Quarter is competing against a raft of commercial proposals in Melbourne's CBD.
Signing a blue-chip tenant like AMP to join us in the heart of the Southern Cross precinct demonstrates how this project promises to revitalise Melbourne’s corporate identity. One Melbourne Quarter brings together the latest thinking in sustainability and technology, offering businesses new, collaborative ways of working with a genuine focus on employee health and wellbeing.
More than half the precinct is dedicated to open green space including a Skypark, an elevated new public park on Collins Street that has been a key draw card for businesses. Following AMP’s commitment, One Melbourne Quarter will have only one more floor to lease, reflecting the strong market interest in the project.
According to Lendlease, the Denton Corker Marshall-designed One Melbourne Quarter will target leading sustainability outcomes in water consumption, waste management, and indoor environmental quality. A 6 Star Green Star rating and a 5 star NABERS energy rating is the expected outcome.
The pending two commercial towers are designed to be considerably taller than One Melbourne Quarter. All in all 12,000 workers are expected across the three towers once Melbourne Quarter's commercial component is complete.
681 Collins Street was granted a permit during March of this year and is now in the pool of potential projects seeking a pre-commitment whilst 691 Collins Street is still being assessed by the Planning Minister's office, having been submitted during June.
