http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthrea ... st16639891
Wow... just wow! So that's over 320m...Telco plans giant HQ in Melbourne
Cameron Houston
November 23, 2007
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ ... 51517.html
TELSTRA will build Australia's largest office building in Melbourne, consolidating most of its 11,000 local employees under one, enormous roof.
The telecommunications giant has named at least three prominent developers to bid for the massive project, costing almost $1 billion.
The company's quest for 140,000 square metres of office space will be the biggest property deal in Australian history and is expected to a bonanza for the Victorian construction industry.
The Age is aware of four sites that are in contention for the headquarters.
Participants in the tendering have signed confidentiality contracts, but plans are believed to range from a multi-level campus-style development to an 80-storey building that could rival Eureka Tower as the city's tallest structure.
The building will eclipse the Rialto building and Sydney's Governor Phillip and Governor Macquarie Towers, which both have about 85,000 square metres of office space.
But Telstra's modest request of just 4.5 stars under the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme is likely to draw criticism from supporters of sustainable development. Most of Telstra's employees will have to depend on public transport, however, with the brief to developers requesting fewer than 1000 car parking spaces.
Grocon is one of the shortlisted bidders and, if successful, will build on the derelict Carlton and United Breweries site on Swanston Street, which it bought last year for $39 million. Grocon already has planning approval for a 120,000-square-metre building on that site and has approached several of Melbourne's most progressive architects, including Ashton Raggatt McDougall and Denton Corker Marshall.
Sydney-based developer Lend Lease is also in contention and has earmarked a large site at its Docklands precinct, Victoria Harbour, that will abut the ANZ Bank's new premises.
The riverfront land is more suited to a lower campus-style development or cluster of buildings and could be similar to ANZ's 80,000-square-metre headquarters that is under construction. Lend Lease is believed to have an internal design group working on the proposal, but plans to collaborate with local architects, according to a property industry source.
Salta Property Group is the final bidder and is believed to have acquired options on two substantial CBD sites — the former power station in Spencer Street, and the Schiavello showroom on Queensbridge Street opposite the Crown Casino complex. Salta has appointed leading Sydney architect Bates Smart.
The shortlisted developers will present preliminary plans to Telstra property director Vito Chiodo next week, with a decision expected early next year. Telstra hopes the new premises will be completed by 2011, when the lease on its Lonsdale Street headquarters expires.
A Telstra spokeswoman said the company was "always looking at opportunities in our property portfolio, but no decisions have been made". A new headquarters in Melbourne would follow a similar move in Brisbane.
