A $460 million, 12-storey tower has started construction after its planning assessment was one of a handful of construction projects across Victoria to be fast-tracked by the state government.
The building, located at 480 Swan Street and design by Architectus, will house the new headquarters for Australia Post in a modern, campus-style facility.
Australia Post became the primary tenant of the Swan Street location, after the proposal was approved in late 2020. The building will comprise 32,000 square metres over 12 levels, including 1,000 square metres of retail space on the ground floor. Architectus’ design brief stated the new tower would draw from the building facade typology of the local streetscape.
The building will also be constructed under a carbon neautral framework, targeting a 6-star Greenstar rating.
The postmaster will be leaving its longstanding national headquarters in Melbourne’s Bourke Street as the first major corporate tenant to defect from the CBD since the onset of the pandemic.
Australia Post chief executive Paul Graham said the company has “deep connections” to local communities and looks forward to being a part of the fabric of the Richmond community in 2024.
According to the Victorian government, more than $4.2 billion worth of new “shovel-ready” projects have received fact-tracked approval through facilitation programs since March 2020.
A spokesperson for the Premier said the Development Facilitation Program identifies priority projects meeting criteria such as investment certainty, economic and employment impact and also considers a range of wider social objectives, like affordable housing and emissions reduction.
Among the previous fast-tracked approvals is the Collingwood complex designed by 6A Architects: a “walk up village” drawing inspiration from Mediterranean hilltop towns.
Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas said the government is supporting the Victorian construction industry to boost local economies like Richmond’s through accelerated approvals strategies.
The building will commence construction in 2022 and is slated for completion in 2024.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
