Vic Government offloading $115m Ballarat GovHub
The Victorian government’s development arm is quietly offering the under-construction Ballarat GovHub for sale in a process that could reap it and its partners about $115 million.
The Ballarat complex, to be completed by December next year, is part of the Andrews government’s decentralisation strategy and will house up to 1000 Victorian public servants.
The new Ballarat building has been estimated to cost about $100 million to build. The Andrews government has provided an additional $47m in funding to support the shift of public service jobs.
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The new complex will be underpinned by a long lease to the Andrews government, which is shifting up to 600 jobs from Melbourne into the new complex. It has already made similar moves to back new buildings in Geelong, as has the federal government.
The projects sits on the “Civic Hall Site”, which is on crown land. Development Victoria is leading the works alongside Regional Development Victoria, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the City of Ballarat.
The GovHub design includes an active ground floor space, incorporating the bricks and masonry theme of the Civic Hall precinct. A glass conservatory will link the Civic Hall to the GovHub and a reconstructed lower hall.
The five-storey project will have four upper levels of office space with about 10,843sqm. It will also have two levels of basement with about 220 carparking spaces and modern end-of-trip facilities.
The Victorian government has committed to the space for 20 years.
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
