Developer Pace snap up $4 million Hawthorn East site to create boutique office block

Property developer Pace has purchased a development site in Hawthorn East.

They've paid $4,062,500 for the warehouse property at 9 Montrose Street which is currently the home of Crossfit Gym. It currently returns $75,000 per annum.

Despite being sold with plans for a nine level apartment building with 34 units designed by Rothelowman, Pace chief executive Shane Wilkinson says the development firm intend to turned the 475 sqm property in to a high-end boutique office building.

“The timing is right for us to take advantage of the record low commercial vacancy throughout the inner eastern suburbs,” Wilkinson said.

“With the abundance of local amenity surrounding the property, we are confident that a new office project will be very well received by the market.” 

Savills Australia agents Clinton Baxter, Jesse Radisich, and Glenn Ye negotiated the deal with a yield of 1.8%.

It sold at $8,500 per sqm.

Baxter said market development sites had “roared back to life” over the last two months after a “period of stagnancy.” 

“With local and offshore developers snapping up sites and competing aggressively for prime real estate, clearly the looming shortfall in construction activity coupled with ongoing population growth is creating a perfect scenario for developers over the next 1-3 years.”