After many years of careful planning, construction of $600 million Wesley Place at 130 Lonsdale Street Melbourne is well under way. This is a joint venture project of The Uniting Church in Australia and Charter Hall.
Designed by COX Architecture, the 33 storey commercial tower continues to emerge on site alongside the centrepiece of the precinct – the statuesque Neo-gothic Heritage listed Wesley Church – also set to undergo complex Heritage Restoration works.
SEMZ have worked closely with The Uniting Church in Australia (Synod of Vic/Tas), Uniting Victoria/Tasmania and the Wesley Church Congregation over recent years to structure the Development Agreement which made this project a reality. With Charter Hall as the Development Partner, the project will protect and enhance this significant Melbourne site.
The redevelopment plans placed a high emphasis on creating new opportunities for the church to engage in city life, while respecting the importance of restoring and enhancing the historic church buildings and honouring the site’s original custodians.
Amongst key corporate tenants, the commercial tower will house the Synod offices for the Uniting Church in Australia, and Uniting Vic/Tas. In line with the Church’s desire to ‘re-claim the vibrant role which Wesley Church has played in Melbourne’s religious, social and political history’, plans for the public realm are designed for greater community and public use, the ground plane will provide a revitalised precinct with contemplative spaces, sections for communal activities, meeting spaces along with café and dining areas.
SEMZ continues to play a significant role on the project, working with the Uniting Church in Australia Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Uniting Vic/Tas, the Wesley Church Congregation and Charter Hall throughout the delivery phase. We take great pride and satisfaction in seeing the years of hard work developing this complex deal result in actual physical excellence, forming such a significant and positive part of Melbourne’s built form and social fabric.