Valli Takes Second Swing at Collingwood Apartments

Developer Valli has filed new plans for its inner-Melbourne site with the City of Yarra after an unsuccessful bid early this year.

The residential project at 224-228 Smith Street at Collingwood proposes a part-seven, part-eight storey building with 25 apartments, office space and a restaurant. 

 In December, 2022, Valli filed plans for a part-eight, part-nine storey block comprising 29 apartments for the site.

The City of Yarra Council failed to make a determination on that application and it was sent to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in 2023.  It was refused early this year.

Pandolfini Architects designed those plans for the 839sq m site as well as the new scheme that is now before the council.

It also proposes 38 parking spaces across two basement levels with a car stacker.

ASIC records list Andrew John Callaghan, Ariel Lakman and Lisa Annabelle Buxton as the directors of 224 Smith Street Pty Ltd. 

Its shareholders include OpalPeak Pty Ltd with a 50 per cent share and Yellowspring Pty Ltd and Randsmith Pty Ltd with 25 per cent shares each.

▲ Smith Street separates Collingwood and Fitzroy in inner northern Melbourne. Image: Nearmap

Lakman and Callaghan are also the directors of Valli Group, which is backed by Andrew Buxton, co-founder and managing director of MAB.

Lisa Annabelle Buxton is married to Lakman and runs an interior design business. 

Corelogic records indicate the site was last purchased in May, 2022 for $8.6 million and settled in April, 2023.

Title deeds submitted with the application to the council show the site is owned by Agostino and Mario Martini, though Valli DM Pty Ltd holds a caveat in the form of an agreement with Agostino and Mario Martini.

Valli Group currently has a development pipeline of more than $100 million across various residential and mixed-use projects.

One of those projects is Dyason in East Melbourne. It comprises a heritage home renovated as a townhouse with five apartments behind it.