Building could start early next year on a nine-level office building planned for Brisbane’s James Street precinct

Developers hope their planned building, The Eminence, will fill a much needed office void in the James Street precinct.

An artist's impression The Eminence at 89 McLachlan St, Fortitude Valley.

A LOCAL developer has high hopes for an inner city boutique office building.

Called The Eminence at 89 McLachlan St, the DA approved building — being developed by Pellegrino Group Australia and Australian Capital Limited partnership — will back onto the historic grounds of St Patrick’s Catholic Church.

Pellegrino Group director Paul Pellegrino said after buying the 1300sq m two-lot site on the corner of Morgan St in early 2015 they had planned a boutique apartment building.

“But with the state of that market we decided not to launch that project and we’re a lot more comfortable with a commercial development, especially with it being in the James Street precinct,” he said.

Designed by O’Neill Architecture and marketed by JLL, the nine-level building will feature three basement car park levels, 315sq m of ground floor retail and 3511sq m of office space over five levels. It will also have a 320sq m roof top sky terrace.

The building design is based from a monolithic form which tapers from bottom to top. Articulated balconies extend on the two bookends and are then screened by concertina perforated metal screens which the form is inspired by a curtain, this will allow in filtered light and breezes.

Mr Pellegrino said the building has been designed to cater for mostly small to medium sized businesses ranging from 350sq m to 1500sq m.

“Or if a tenant wanted a HQ they could take the entire building,” he said.

“We hope to have our leasing precommitment by early 2018 and then start construction. At this stage we intend to retain the asset.”