Buxton-Backed Valli Group Files Collingwood Plans

A Buxton-backed developer has filed plans for a mixed-use project in the heart of one of Melbourne’s popular inner-city suburbs. 

The Valli Group has lodged plans with the City of Yarra for a nine-storey tower at 224-228 Smith Street in Collingwood. 

Plans for the 839sqm site by Pandolfini Architects comprise 29 apartments plus one commercial and one office tenancies.

Also in the plans are 31 residential car parking spaces, 52 residents’ bicycle storage spaces, nine staff bicycle storage spaces and eight visitor bicycle storage spaces. There will be two basement levels.

The applicant is listed as 224 Smith Street Pty Ltd on documents submitted as part of the application while Valli Group is listed as the client on the architectural plans.

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.

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 her own interior design business Lisa Buxton Interiors. 

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

Corelogic records indicate the site was last purchased in May 2022 for $8.6 million with settlement in April.

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, which includes a heritage house retained and renovated as a townhouse with five apartments behind it each with a view of the city. 

“We pick places we would want to live in,” Valli director Callaghan told The Urban Developer when asked about why Collingwood and East Melbourne were deemed suitable locations for the projects. 

Smith Street remains a popular location with developers including Three Towers Group, which won an appeal for its project after the City of Yarra rejected it.