Zagame family acquires Abbotsford office site from Australian Education Union
The Zagame family has acquired a recently rezoned Abbotsford land parcel of 4,735 square metres for $21 million.
Fitzroys agents Paul Burns and James Lockwood negotiated the sale of 112 Trenerry Crescent on behalf of the Australian Education Union (Victorian Branch) following an expressions of interest campaign.
The site has an existing four-level brick building with a net lettable area of 4,252 square metres, and fronts on to the Yarra River overlooking both Dights falls and Victoria Park, in addition to having views of the CBD skyline.
Burns said 15 offers were received from a mix of local and offshore bidders, predominantly made up of developers, with some partial owner occupiers.
“Bidders had schemes for a mix of office and residential uses for the property, looking to take advantage of the property’s recent rezoning to Mixed Use,” he said.
The AEU had previously used the building as their Victorian headquarters for many years, and held onto the property following their relocation until the rezoning was formalised.
Burns said the strong purchaser interest was driven by the property’s city fringe location and proximity to the burgeoning nearby office markets of Cremorne and Richmond.
The site had views to the Yarra River, Dight Falls, Victoria Park and the Melbourne CBD.
The existing building will be kept and re-used.
“Office vacancies across Melbourne’s city fringe have been tightening to historic lows and businesses are increasingly looking to Abbotsford as the next hotspot for commercial activity,” Burns said.
He said the property offers direct access to trains and buses, the Eastern Freeway and recently upgraded Hoddle Street, and a range of trendy lifestyle options and the scenery of the Yarra River, all within short walking distance.
Lockwood said developers are now Looking beyond the busy Cremorne and Richmond markets for their next projects.
Cadence Property Group has lodged plans for a major office development on Victoria Crescent, near the Carlton and United Brewery, and Salta Property Group is undertaking a mixed-use project with office, apartment and build-to-rent components next to its Victoria Gardens shopping centre.