Clayfield Markets Fresh owners Susan and Carlo Lorenti sell Hamilton Hill dream block
A Brisbane power couple are selling a rare slice of the prestigious Hamilton Hill, a vacant block they bought a decade ago after years of plans stalled.
Most people buy land with a plan to build but for the Brisbane couple behind the highly successful Clayfield Markets Fresh, a steep block on Hamilton Hill became a long-held but never-realised project that sat untouched for more than 10 years.
Power couple Susan and Carlo Lorenti bought the land as a mortgagee sale, imagining they would one day build a significant home with sweeping views of Brisbane on the 810 sqm vacant block at 6-8 Dickson Tce.
But operating and building the highly popular Clayfield Markets Fresh for 29 years consumed all their time and meant those plans were continually pushed aside while they juggled the demanding business and raised two sons.
Now, a decade after buying the land and after selling their booming business to Harris Farm, the family is looking to downsize and the couple’s outlook has changed again.
The vacant block, a rarity in inner city Brisbane, came into the Lorenti’s lives in 2012 when Mrs Lorenti began walking the neighbourhood for exercise.
The incline up Hamilton Hill was demanding enough to become a regular cardio challenge and became part fitness route and part daydream.
But it was the ridge-top outlook that stopped her mid-stride.
“It became part of my walking path,” she said.
“It was very hilly, which gave me a good workout, and we’d walk past it all the time.”
The block sits at one of Hamilton Hill’s highest points, offering clear views across the river and city that change with the light.
“There’s the night view with all the lights, and during the day it’s the city and river — lots of action and lots to look at,” Mrs Lorenti said.
With the family now moving toward downsizing, the property has been listed for sale.
Ray White Ascot director Damon Warat, who is managing the campaign, described the land as one of the suburb’s more unusual offerings, a large, undeveloped site in an area dominated by finished luxury homes.
He said the block, on two lots with a 20m frontage and dual-street access was “a rare blank canvas” for either a single landmark residence or redevelopment.
“What makes this property special is that it is the best building block available on top of Hamilton Hill,” he said.
For the Lorentis, the decision to sell signals the end of a long, if paused, dream.
“We held onto the idea for so long,” Mrs Lorenti said. “Now it’s someone else’s turn.”
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Originally published as Clayfield Markets Fresh owners Susan and Carlo Lorenti sell Hamilton Hill dream block
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