ABC Television studio building in Elsternwick up for sale
THE ABC has put its Elsternwick property on the market as productions move to its new Southbank studios.
The 6155sq m property, on the corner of Selwyn and Sinclair streets, comprises offices, storage facilities and some of the ABC’s television studios.
Six separate titles make up the property, which is zoned for mixed use and includes a two-level office, several warehouses and a two storey carpark.
The site is within 100m of Elsternwick station, trams and retail facilities along Glenhuntly Rd.
The property is being sold by Savills.
Savills state director Clinton Baxter said the property would attract a “great deal of attention”.
“This is one of those exceptional properties which very rarely hits the market,” he said.
“In this case favourable mixed use zoning, abundant surrounding amenity including retail, public transport, bay beaches and numerous prestigious schools, coupled with a levelled site with superb access from several street frontages.”
Mr Baxter said the buildings dated back to the 1950s and offered a wide range of potential uses in “what is one of the best and most highly credentialed development locations in Melbourne”.
The property will be sold following an expressions of interest process, which closes on December 6.
Savills would not reveal how much the property was expected to fetch.
Glen Eira Debates 
November 14, 2016 at 7:19 PM
Council has got to move and get a height limit done for Elsternwick immediately. It’s mixed use with no height limit. They will go for 12 and more stories for sure.
November 14, 2016 at 9:49 PM
The height of what ever is built will match the height of the transmitter tower. It has line of sight viewing to Geelong and Mt Dandenong. That is why they chose the site in the 1950’s. Make a great penthouse for someone. Unfortunately it will be hard to impose height controls.
November 14, 2016 at 8:53 PM
Council must use all their influence to have this property given to the Community.
November 15, 2016 at 7:54 AM
The land is in a residential zone [MUZ], has two Heritage Overlays [HO72, HO81] over parts of it, has a 140m abutment with land in RGZ so must meet the requirements of Clauses 55.04-1, 55.04-2, 55.04-3, 55.04-5 and 55.04-6 along that boundary. On the other hand, under the notorious Napthine government Matthew Guy quietly changed the Purpose of MUZ. It used to be “to encourage residential development that respects the neighbourhood character” but is now “to encourage development that responds to the existing or preferred neighbourhood character of the area”. GECC doesn’t have a preferred character for anything other than NRZ and VCAT has happily filled the void with its own preference. 276 Neerim Rd is an example of what happens when you have no obligation to respect neighbourhood character.
November 15, 2016 at 10:23 AM
Nothing is said about the Gordon Street side of the property so wondering if this is included in the sale too? I’ve looked at the earlier posts on this and they claim that the entire area including Gordon street is over 8000 metres and this is 6000.
November 15, 2016 at 1:48 PM
The Gordon St site is about 1.2ha, zoned RGZ, with an abuttal to NRZ. Likely to be a “developer’s picnic”, to quote Cr Silver. An unscrupulous developer could leverage the existing tall building to “extend” a residential development so as not to be constrained by RGZ’s 13.5m height limit. If 5+ storeys then ResCode won’t apply. If traffic lights aren’t considered an impediment to accessing public open space, there’s Elsternwick Park on other side of Nepean Highway, and Elsternwick Station Reserve. Doubt government has any qualms about the morality of compulsorily acquiring land from Ripponlea Estate, rezoning, and on-selling.
November 15, 2016 at 3:01 PM
Council helps out too with “density” written into the planning scheme for these sites. They should put a sign out on Nepean Highway – all developers welcome.
November 15, 2016 at 6:18 PM
Good slogans:for Glen Eira: ‘developer’s picnic’; or ‘developers welcome’; or may be ‘developers paradise’. I think the new Council should think in terms of slogans, just as the State Government spruiks its visions as slogans on cars eg ‘victoria garden state’, ‘victoria on the move’, ‘victoria the place to be’, ‘victoria stay alert stay alive’, and the most recent one ‘victoria the education state,.
Glen Eira in all of its history had only one slogan initially – Glen Eira 2020 Green, Gracious and Gregarious. It’s 2016 and its nothing like it. The new Council should reflect on that and perhaps develop a new Vision for Glen Eira.
November 15, 2016 at 8:59 PM
An appropriate slogan would be: ‘Hyams Development Inferno’ supporting businesses for Liberal party.
November 15, 2016 at 9:37 PM
you forgot the word”mates” after the Liberal Party
November 15, 2016 at 11:34 PM
As I understand it, this land was compulsorily acquired by the Vic’n Govt in preparation for the ’56 Olympics to build the ABC TV studio. Again, in the ’60s there was another compulsory acquisition of the Ripponlea garden to further extend the ABC, but the then owner of Ripponlea took legal action to stop this and she was supported by a huge public outcry. She settled with the Government that on her death the land still in her possession would be bequeathed to the National Trust. The lady died in 1972 and the Ripponlea house and garden went to the Trust – in essence it was saved from the fate of many other such estates. Happy to be corrected if necessary.
I agree that the Government should hand the area back to the people as public open space. This is a unique opportunity and the Council should lobby for that outcome.