[+] Why Lennon Mills is the New Wave of Industrial

A development that’s been lauded as part of the new wave of the industrial sector has gained plenty of attention thanks to its location and planned re-use of existing buildings.

Perri Projects’ site in West Melbourne will be transformed to create spaces for such uses as last-mile logistics, cold storage, manufacturing, showrooms, retail and dining.

The historic flour mill that lends its name to the project, Lennon Mills, is among the buildings that will be repurposed for a new era, according to Perri Projects managing director David Scalzo.

Advantages to the reuse, aside from retaining an historic and culturally significant building, he said, included that it provided a high roof, up to 13m, which was in keeping with modern warehousing needs and practices, such as racking.

“It means it can have 30 per cent more product space than comparable sized building in the inner Melbourne area,” Scalzo said.

Lennon Mills, which is being undertaken in partnership with Wingate Property, will be the first new industrial precinct built in the inner band of Melbourne in 20 years, he said.

Located 2km from the CBD and next to the South Kensington train station, Perri Projects purchased the site late in 2019 as part of a targeted push to acquire space suitable for last-minute logistics.

The project design retains and celebrates three existing former industrial buildings—two concrete silos and a red brick mill—adapting and restoring them for contemporary use.

“This site has a history of innovation, so we think it has a real zeal to it,” Scalzo said.

The first phase of the $100-million development on the 1.5ha site would include 14,000sq m of warehouse space, showroom and creative offices, on-site food and beverage amenities, end of trip facilities and a craft spirit distillery.

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