Far East, Cbus to Build $100m Perth Office Block

Joint venture partners Far East Consortium and Cbus Property have been given the green light to develop one of the largest sites in the Perth City Link precinct.

The $100-million commercial project, dubbed King Street Campus, is located on the western corner of King and Roe streets and is on one of the five lots purchased by the local arm of the Hong Kong-listed Far East Consortium in 2016.

The vacant 3800sq m site, known as Lot 10 at 59 Roe Street, sits within the Perth City Link precinct, a 13ha redevelopment strip between the Perth CBD and Northbridge.

The precinct was identified as a state significant redevelopment area in 2018 and a comprehensive planning framework was prepared to “reconnect the CBD with Northbridge for the first time in 100 years”.

Architecture firm Woods Bagot has designed the 14-storey commercial development, which will offer 26,000sq m of office space.

It is understood the building’s undisclosed anchor tenant worked in close consultation with the design team in order to “meet their specific requirements externally and internally”.

It will also include a 900sq m wellness centre, 176 secure bicycle parking spaces and end-of-trip facilities as well as 1100sq m retail floorspace at the ground and mezzanine level and 67 car-parking bays over three levels.

The state government has so far spent more than $1.3 billion on the Perth City Link precinct.

In 2013 the $360-million rail component of the project was completed by the Public Transport Authority, in partnership with John Holland and GHD.

The transport project included station upgrades, new links between Perth Station and Perth Underground, and the new Fremantle line rail tunnel.

In 2016, the ​​$215-million bus component of the precinct was completed, with the ageing Wellington Street Bus Station demolished and replaced with a “state-of-the-art” underground Busport.

Other key completions such as the 15,000 seat RAC Arena, the 1ha Yagan Square and Leighton Properties’ Kings Square precinct for tenants Shell Australia, John Holland Group, P&N Bank and HBF.

Meanwhile, the recently announced Edith Cowan University City Campus on Lot 13 and 14 is set to open in 2025.

The inner-city campus, which will house 10,000 students and 1500 staff, is part of the $695-million Perth City Deal jointly funded by the federal and state governments.

Ground works have also recently commenced at two of Far East Consortium’s other lots within the precinct, 2 and 3A, which are next to the RAC Arena and due for completion in 2023.

The dual tower development includes a 263-room, 23-storey Dorsett Hotel and a 32-storey building with 314 apartments.

Far East Consortium initially flagged plans for a a 250-room Dorsett Hotel and 350-apartment tower in 2016.

These were rejected but in 2018 it received development approval.

The residential tower, which will overlook Perth Arena, also includes three retail tenancies on the ground floor, as well as a pool, gym, sauna and gardens for the residents.

Other planned additions to the precinct include an underground shopping mall and European-style plaza surrounding the Milligan Steps.

Mooted plans for the future development of Lots 3B and 6—both under the ownership of Far East Consortium—include 1000 apartments, supermarkets, bars, restaurants and cafes at ground level, potentially expanding Perth’s Chinatown into the link.