Proposed plans for new $10m up-market laneway, restaurant precinct in Manly
In a bid to attract big businesses, a $10m redevelopment is being proposed for the Manly Emporium building which would include restaurants, cafes and swish offices. SEE THE VIDEO FLY-THROUGH PLAN.
Manly
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A proposed $10m dollar redevelopment on Manly’s Corso will see a new up-market laneway, a precinct of destination restaurants and cafes and swish offices aimed at wooing big business to the area.
Blair Courtney-O’Connor, business development manager of Aspiring Properties, said he was proposing a five-star makeover of 6 The Corso, which is the Manly Emporium building.
The facade of the heritage building would remain.
The plans include creating a new arcade from The Corso, leading to a lane off East Esplanade and refreshing a row of terraces and another building along East Esplanade to create a vibrant new restaurant/cafe scene.
“It will be a five-star presentation,” he said. “It will lift that end of Manly.
“I’m concerned that there is a lot of development going on in Dee Why and Frenchs Forest and I don’t want Manly to be left behind.
“It’s the jewel of the northern beaches — let’s keep it that way.”
Mr Courtney-O’Connor’s family founded and run the International College of Management Sydney and Aspiring Properties is a sister company.
The redevelopment of Manly Emporium will see classy retail on the ground floor — at the moment it is a cheap outlet store — and then commercial space, with the potential to also create a design or health hub.
It will be one of the only large office spaces available in the CBD and the hope is it will arouse the interest of GMs and CEOs living in the area wanting satellite offices in Manly, just a few steps from the wharf.
Mr Courtney-O’Connor said at the moment there was not any large up-market office space that could attract quality operators to Manly. But, he wanted to change that.
The father-of-three from Warriewood said workers not tourists were the ones spending the dollars in Manly and he wanted to attract more.
A DA for the site is due to be lodged on Thursday.
If it is approved it will be the fourth large development in Manly’s CBD, with St Matthews Church’s upgrade of a row of retail outlets, a potential big operator taking over the old Commonwealth Bank and the new retail and residential build on Belgrave St and Sydney Rd.
Real estate agent Patrick Kelleher of Pine Property said he had a client at the moment looking for 300 sqm plus office space but there was nothing available.
He said there had been demand from corporate business since Macquarie Bank paved the way by setting up a satellite office in Manly.
“It will provide the opportunity for larger businesses that need decent space to come to Manly,” he said.
Mr Kelleher challenged the idea that Manly was currently in a slump with a high vacancy rate, saying he estimated retail and commercial vacancies were below five per cent, much lower than Sydney’s CBD or Chatswood.
He said it was true to say across the board retail was facing challenges, but Manly was still a well sought after area and a big tourist drawcard.
All the businesses within the proposed buildings will continue as normal during the DA awaiting DA approval.
Giuseppe Porcelli, chief executive officer, Lakeba Group, currently a tenant of Manly Emporium, said he looked forward to witnessing the building’s next chapter.