Philip Morris Moorabbin manufacturing site to be transformed into new urban destination
The Melbourne property investment and development company, Up Property, has unveiled plans to transform Moorabbin’s 60-year-old Philip Morris manufacturing site into a business park.
Designed to bring inner city urban culture to the Bayside pocket, the landmark location has been named Morris Moor – in a nod to the site’s location, rich history and significance in the local community.
It will be a multi-use community precinct worth in excess of $100 million upon completion.
“Our vision is for Morris Moor to become an iconic destination for Melbourne and the local residential and business community to work, play, eat and drink,” Up Property managing director Adam Davidson said.
“Upon taking ownerships of the site in May last year, we received overwhelming interest from businesses looking for opportunities beyond that of a typical office precinct – from gymnasiums and coffee roasters to indoor golf simulators and cinemas.”
Upgrading an area predominantly known for being an industrial precinct, Up Property will be working alongside property development and advisory agency, Connect Plus Property Solutions.
The plans to repurpose the original site features over 50,000 square metres of leasable space across an existing eight buildings.
Director of Connect Plus, Simmy Abraham said that rather than demolishing the original buildings and disregarding the site’s history, Up Property has recognised the iconic location and have taken the more challenging path of transforming the original buildings into the contemporary, industrially inspired, Morris Moor.
A permit has already been received for the 6.27-hectare site, which upon completion and full capacity, will yield in excess of 1,600 new jobs for the Moorabbin community, doubling the amount that were employed at the site in its previous life as a manufacturing mecca.
Architects, Genton Architecture, undertook the masterplan.
Morris Moor features approximately 2,879 square metres of hospitality space, designed in consultation with award winning architecture and interior design firm Techne.
Construction began this month on Morris Moor’s prominent office building, which frames the site at its well-known corner on Chesterville and Cochranes Road.
Boasting 5,257 square metres of office space across two levels, the building has the potential to house up to six tenants ranging from approximately 250 square metres to the whole building.
The building is set to become the best offering of office accommodation in the local area, receiving a full refurbishment, including a new facelift to its facade and a reimagined CBD style lobby which will be ready for tenant occupation in the first quarter of 2019.
Three tenants have already been secured for the site including:
Little Learning School: a 140-place childcare centre set to transform and breathe life into one of the site’s oldest warehouses fronting Chesterville Road
Clik Collective: a co-warehousing facility in excess of 6,000 square metres from the operators of the well-known Kensington Collective
Schotts Home Emporium: Melbourne’s much-loved furniture retailer who has already commenced the fit-out of their impressive new 4,140 square metre showroom facility within one of Morris Moor’s far east buildings.