Cbus Property welcomes Chris Lucas to 435 Bourke Street, Melbourne

JUNE 2024

HOSPITALITY ENTREPRENEUR COLLABORATES WITH DEVELOPER TO BRING REVOLUTIONARY ALL-ELECTRIC DINING TO WORLD-CLASS OFFICE PRECINCT

National award-winning integrated property investor and developer, Cbus Property, has collaborated with pioneering Australian hospitality entrepreneur, Chris Lucas, to introduce two new signature dining venues to its $1 billion next-generation mixed-use precinct, 435 Bourke Street, in Melbourne’s CBD.

Chris Lucas has been engaged to partner on two multi-level retail spaces for the 435 Bourke Street development, collaborating with Cbus Property, internationally acclaimed project architect, Bates Smart, and head contractor, Multiplex, to develop dynamic, visually aesthetic and environmentally sustainable restaurants and reimagine the precinct’s public and guest experience.

The future CBD landmark will incorporate Mr Lucas’ boundary-breaking vision for experiential dining and all-electric cooking, integrated with Cbus Property’s world-leading sustainability objectives. These will include one of the world’s first ‘solar skin’ façades for an office tower and targeted 6 Star Green Star Buildings and Platinum WELL certified ratings, representing global leadership under these benchmark tools.

Cbus Property’s Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Pozzo, said the wholly owned entity of Cbus Super was thrilled to welcome Chris Lucas to help shape the vision for 435 Bourke Street and “create restaurant offerings that will reinvigorate mid-town Melbourne by applying the signature Lucas atmosphere and experience to define a new mixed-use destination for the CBD”.
“Cbus Property and Chris Lucas have worked collaboratively to design the restaurant fitouts to ensure they are wholistically aligned with 435 Bourke Street’s inherent focus on sustainability,” he said.

“The focus and future of work is constantly evolving so our acute awareness of the need to deliver an exceptional user experience to support our future customers means we are also focused on the social value of the places we deliver.

“Chris Lucas’ commitment to the 435 Bourke Street precinct is sheer testament to its unparalleled calibre, which will now be underpinned by an extraordinary integrated hospitality offering.”
Cbus Property’s project manager for 435 Bourke Street and long-term development advisor to Lucas Group, Armitage Jones, introduced Mr Lucas to the 435 Bourke Street precinct at the commencement of the leasing campaign.

“Melbourne is my home and city that I have dedicated my working life to and is also one of the world’s great food cities,” Mr Lucas said.

“Developments such as 435 Bourke Street give me a rare creative licence and a blank canvas to see how our restaurants can help transform our city and position it as a city of the future for both hospitality and work.

“It’s invigorating to collaborate with a team of like-minded creatives at Cbus Property, who share my belief that global cities thrive on world-class hospitality venues and exceptional dining experiences, while internationally renowned project architect, Bates Smart, has seamlessly integrated my vision into the building’s architectural expression.

“This project is an important city-shaping project for Melbourne and is set to be a landmark commercial tower and new dining destination for future generations. I’m proud and humbled to be entrusted with significant transformational development for our city. 435 Bourke Street will be a cool and delicious integrated commercial and dining precinct with an inherent focus on sustainability.

“My all-electric restaurants will use some of the most advanced hospitality technology available, such as electric woks, demonstrating how our industry can participate and lead as we transition to a more environmentally sustainable world.”

435 Bourke Street will set a revolutionary new standard for sustainable development and design. Designed to achieve net zero carbon (in operation), with approximately 20 per cent of its all-electric base building electricity requirements generated on site by its solar skin design, the balance of the building will be powered by off-site renewable electricity, in keeping with Cbus Property’s office portfolio, which achieved net zero carbon (in operation) in early 2022.

“We are targeting an exceptional 45 per cent reduction in upfront embodied carbon, one of the highest reduction targets for a commercial office building in Australia to date. We will achieve this by utilising new low-carbon building products and materials and innovative construction processes, such as HVO100 biodiesel for the site’s machinery,” Mr Pozzo said.

“435 Bourke Street’s focus on sustainability, nature, wellness and connection to the community are exactly what our existing and prospective tenant partners are looking for in a workplace – access to best-in-class amenity and world-class environmentally sustainable design in an outstanding central-CBD location.”

435 Bourke Street will comprise approximately 60,000 square metres of premium office space across 48 levels, 1,300 square metres of retail space and 116 car parks, as well as a sky garden accessible to all tenants. Several landscaped open-air or mixed-mode terraces will capture 360-degree views across Melbourne from the top six levels.

Currently under construction on the corner of Bourke and Queen streets, 435 Bourke Street is anticipated for completion in late 2026. Approximately 3,500 jobs are anticipated to be created on site throughout the construction journey, with up to 300 workers on site each day during peak construction periods.