Brookfield Puts Foot on 11ha Slice of North Melbourne Ford Site

The acquisition is another step in the transformation of one of Melbourne’s most significant former manufacturing precincts, which is being repositioned for a new generation of industrial and technology uses.

The broader Ford complex dates to the 1950s, when the carmaker established its Broadmeadows operations as part of the expansion of Australian vehicle manufacturing.

The Broadmeadows assembly plant opened in 1959 and became one of the country’s best-known automotive manufacturing sites. It produced a succession of Ford models, including the Falcon, Fairlane, Cortina and Territory, while the wider Ford operation supported thousands of manufacturing and engineering jobs.

Ford announced in 2013 that it would end local vehicle production, bringing an end to 88 years of Australian manufacturing. Production at Broadmeadows finished in October, 2016 with the final Falcon and Territory vehicles rolling off the line.

The former factory and associated properties were subsequently broken up and sold.

The main Broadmeadows assembly plant was acquired by Pelligra Group in 2019, with plans for a major industrial and employment precinct known as Assembly Broadmeadows. The former 12ha factory has been earmarked for a broader redevelopment incorporating industrial and commercial uses.

▲ The first Australian Ford Falcon rolls off the assembly line of the Cambellfield Ford plant.

Another section of the former Ford landholding has since taken a very different direction, with a proposal for a large data centre campus. Zerra DC has filed plans for a six-building facility on the former assembly plant site.

Brookfield’s acquisition involves a separate part of the former Ford complex.

Brookfield co-head of Australian real estate Ruban Kaneshamoorthy said the project would be classified as “super prime” on completion and would respond to a shortage of high-quality logistics space in Melbourne.

The acquisition adds to Brookfield’s Australian and New Zealand logistics platform, which now has about 850,000sq m of operating or planned warehouse space across 10 investments.

The shift also reflects the changing value of large brownfield sites close to Melbourne’s established transport and employment networks, where former manufacturing land is being recycled for uses that can support the city’s next phase of industrial growth.

▲ The site at Flagstaff Gardens that has come to market with approval for a 36-storey mixed-use project.

Meanwhile, a 3915sq m CBD development site opposite Melbourne’s Flagstaff Gardens has hit the market with expectations of about $90 million.

It holds an approved pathway for a 36-storey mixed-use project.

The Trilogy site at 388 William Street, on the corner of Franklin Street, has an endorsed planning permit for a development with 63,700sq m of gross building area. The approval gives a buyer scope to pursue residential, build-to-rent, student accommodation, hotel or commercial uses.

The site has more than 128m of combined street frontage and direct views across the 7.2ha Flagstaff Gardens. It also sits within the Queen Victoria Market precinct, alongside the $1 billion renewal of the market.

Cushman & Wakefield is marketing the property through Oliver Hay, Daniel Wolman and Leon Ma, with Pat Burke of MP Burke acting as transaction adviser.

The site is within walking distance of Flagstaff Station and the William Street tram corridor, with connections to the CBD, universities and the Parkville Biomedical Precinct.

The expressions of interest campaign is due to close on October 1.