Hospitality Heavyweights Make Moves in Melbourne CBD

There’s movement in Melbourne’s ‘Paris End’ on Spring Street with one restaurateur’s plans greenlit while another hospo heavyweight is believed to have bought in the area.

Justin Hemnes’ Merivale is said to have purchased the art deco building Kantay House at 12-18 Meyers Place earlier this week. 

While the price has not been disclosed, it was expected to fetch around $15 million when listed.

The building, designed by Harry Norris and built in 1940, currently houses three venues—the San Telmo grill, Lily Blacks cocktail bar and Pizza Pizza Pizza.

A demolition clause is built into the leases for the 603sq m site. 

Merivale has not confirmed the purchase.

Kantay House is opposite Windsor Place, near where fellow restaurateur and entrepreneur Chris Lucas will build his latest venture, Batard. 

The Future Melbourne Committee voted to approve Lucas’ latest application to amend the permit for a three-storey restaurant behind The Windsor Hotel.

Located at 19-21 and 23-29 Bourke Street, Lucas’ Lucas Group will spend $10 million on the project, according to council documents.

Mills Gorman Architects has designed the plans for the restaurant. 

The original permit was lodged in 2019 and granted in March 2020 with an extension for time granted in May 2022 and the additional approval for excavating a basement in June 2022.

▲ Justin Hemnes’ Merivale is said to have purchased the art deco building Kantay House at 12-18 Meyers Place earlier this week. 

It allowed partial demolition, buildings and works to create alterations and additions to the two existing buildings, which date from the early 1900s.

A three-storey restaurant with basement and retractable awnings above a terrace and a courtyard on the second floor was approved.

The recent amendment was for additional demolition and reconstruction work for two chimneys inside the building and external alterations and modifications to the internal layout. 

“Every brick within the chimneys will be pulled out, recorded and placed within an inventory before being put back,” City of Melbourne deputy lord mayor Nicholas Reece said. 

Lucas owns several high-end restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne including Chin Chin, Yakimono, Baby and Grill Americano.

He is also the proprietor of Society, at 80 Collins Street, whose much awaited opening was delayed by pandemic-related lockdowns.

“Projects like this continue to grow the city not just as a culinary capital but as an experience capital,” City of Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp said. 

“It's part of what makes Melbourne, Melbourne.”

▲ Lucas Restaurant’s Yakimono at 80 Collins Street.

Council documents show that Nineteen Bourke Land Pty Ltd owns 19-21 Bourke Street while Twenty Three Bourke Land Pty Ltd owns 23-29 Bourke Street.

ASIC records show that Chris Lucas is the director of Nineteen Bourke Land Pty Ltd and Twenty Three Bourke Land Pty Ltd.

According to CoreLogic property records, 19-21 Bourke Street last exchanged hands in June 2021 for $5.9 million with settlement in December 2021, while 23-29 Bourke Street exchanged hands in March 2021 for $7.2 million with settlement in July 2022.

Lucas was also known to have sold his Sydney apartment in Potts Point for $6 million in October 2022 after purchasing it in 2017 for $3.4 million. 

Golden Age Group also sold Lucas Group two levels at 130 Collins Street for a reported $13 million. 

Roberts Co took over the project with its new scheduled completion date of 2024 when Lucas Group will make two of the 27 levels their official corporate headquarters.

The East End of Melbourne’s CBD, known as the “Paris End” due to its architecture, has been the focal point of renewed development interest with the pandemic creating delay and disruption.

Right next door, the permit to redevelop the Hotel Windsor at 103-107 Spring Street and 1-17 Bourke Street expired in March 2020 while the former Palace Theatre at 20-30 Bourke Street for Le Meridien is now complete.

A hotel redevelopment is under way at the former Jobs Warehouse site at 54-62 Bourke Street and 11-19 Liverpool Street with demolition and construction already started.