Walker Corp’s $2.5bn Collins Square Nears Completion

A major construction milestone has been reached at Walker Corporation’s colossal $2.5 billion Collins Square development, with contractor Multiplex “topping out” the fifth and final office tower.

The $126 million tower, located in Melbourne’s CBD, reaches 33-storeys and is 117 metres high.

Billionaire Lang Walker’s Collins Square is one of the largest commercial office developments in Australia. Spanning an entire city block, it consists of five commercial office buildings.

Construction of four of the five towers are complete, with the fifth tower due for completion later this year. The first tenant will move in mid-year.

The development is almost entirely leased with Lang Walker telling the Australian Financial Review earlier this year that he was pleased to be nearing the fully-leased milestone.

“Once construction of Tower Five is complete, we are committed to continuing to manage this thriving mixed-use precinct," Walker said.

Graham Cottam, regional managing director of Multiplex Victoria says completion of the entire project will see Multiplex deliver four of the five towers.

“We are delighted to reach topping out stage at tower five, bringing us one step closer to the completion of Collins Square,” Cottam said.

Some 450 people have worked on-site to date, according to Multiplex, with a total of 22,000 cubic metres of concrete used to get the final tower to its 33-storey height.

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UEM Sunrise’s $330m ‘Conservatory’ Tops Out

In more Melbourne “topping out” news, Malaysian developer UEM Sunrise’s $330 million residential building, the “Conservatory” has reached its final construction stage.

The 42-level residential tower, located at the corner of the World Heritage-listed 64-acre Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building, celebrated its structural topping out on Friday.

The 446-residential unit development marks the first project to be completed by Malaysian property developers UEM Sunrise, along with Hickory Group, in Australia.

History buffs will appreciate the number of artefacts discovered during the archaeological excavation stage.

UEM Sunrise’s managing director Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib said from late September the 477 artefacts, ranging from hidden loot, clay pipes, glassware and jewellery will be on display.

“Before construction began, we engaged an archaeological consultant for an archaeological excavation of the site. They uncovered over 250,000 artefacts, dating back to the early gold rush in the 1800s when the site was the Mistletoe Hotel.”

The project will reach completion September this year.