Boutique Melbourne property investment and development company, Up Property, has today revealed plans to transform Moorabbin’s 60-year-old Philip Morris manufacturing site into an iconic new urban destination that will offer more amenity, more employment and more opportunity for the local area.

Designed to bring inner city urban culture to the Bayside pocket, the landmark location has been named ‘Morris Moor’ – a nod to the site’s location, rich history and significance in the local community.

Up Property has reimagined the heritage site to become a multi-use community precinct that will be worth in excess of $100 million upon completion, with Managing Director, Adam Davidson, explaining that Morris Moor will cultivate experiences and create opportunities that breathe life into the local neighbourhood through the diversity of its tenants.

Building lobby - Morris Moor project by Up Property
Building lobby - Morris Moor project by Up Property (Image: supplied)

“Our vision is for Morris Moor to become an iconic destination for Melbourne and the local residential and business community to work, play, eat and drink,” Davidson said.

“Upon taking ownerships of the site in May last year, we received overwhelming interest from businesses looking for opportunities beyond that of a typical office precinct – from gymnasiums and coffee roasters to indoor golf simulators and cinemas."

“This helped shape our masterplan for Morris Moor as we wanted to be responsive to the market and develop a location that the community would embrace. Morris Moor will forge exciting new opportunities and experiences for Moorabbin and broader Bayside, upgrading an area predominantly known for being an industrial precinct.”

Working alongside property development and advisory agency, Connect Plus Property Solutions, Up Property plans to repurpose the original site, which features over 50,000 square metres of leasable space across an existing eight buildings. Director of Connect Plus, Simmy Abraham, explains that the choice to repurpose the site’s buildings will transform Morris Moor into a significant landmark.

“Rather than demolishing the original buildings and disregarding the site’s history, Up Property has recognised the iconic location and have taken the more challenging path of transforming the original buildings into the contemporary, industrially inspired, Morris Moor,” Abraham said.

A permit has already been received for the 6.27-hectare site, which upon completion and full capacity, will yield in excess of 1,600 new jobs for the Moorabbin community, doubling the amount that were employed at the site in its previous life as a manufacturing mecca.

Working closely with multi-award winning architects, Genton, Up Property has designed a visionary masterplan that interprets the existing buildings and landscaping into a location that will bring the best of Melbourne to Moorabbin.

Up Property is embracing the manufacturing history of the site through its ‘makers theme’; seeking future occupants that have an element of on-site production rather than straight up retail. The focus is on finding place makers not space takers to create a vibrant, engaging community that will be a local destination as well as a draw card for surrounding suburbs. For example, a coffee roaster not just a coffee shop, a brewery not just a bar, a bakery not just a shop front.

Artist impression of F&B area at Morris Moor
Artist impression of F&B area at Morris Moor (Image: supplied)

Morris Moor features approximately 2,879 square metres of hospitality space, designed by Genton working in consultation with award winning architecture and interior design firm Techne to develop opportunities for a mixture of restaurants, cafes, a brewery, distillery, wine bar, convenience store, florist, event function space and more are available to create an urban destination that will be a catalyst for the inevitable gentrification of the area.

Construction began this month on Morris Moor’s prominent office building, which frames the site at its well-known corner on Chesterville and Cochranes Road. Boasting 5,257 square metres of office space across two levels, the building has the potential to house up to six tenants ranging from approximately 250 square metres to the whole building.

The building is set to become the best offering of office accommodation in the local area, receiving a full refurbishment, including a new facelift to its facade and a reimagined CBD style lobby which will be ready for tenant occupation in the first quarter of 2019.

Up Property is currently seeking occupiers for the office space with an impending expressions of interest campaign to commence mid-year for Morris Moor’s carefully master-planned hospitality precinct.

Three tenants have already been secured for the site including:

  • Little Learning School: a 140-place childcare centre set to transform and breathe life into one of the site’s oldest warehouses fronting Chesterville Road
  • Clik Collective: a co-warehousing facility in excess of 6,000 square metres from the operators of the well-known Kensington Collective
  • Schots Home Emporium: Melbourne’s much-loved furniture retailer who has already commenced the fit-out of their impressive new 4,140 square metre showroom facility within one of Morris Moor’s far east buildings.

For more information on the plans for Morris Moor, to enquire about tenant opportunities or to register your interest visit, please contact us.