Biomedical giant CSL wins Melbourne City Council approval for $140m Parkville headquarters
City of Melbourne has signed off on a biomedical company’s proposed $140m new headquarters at the former Toyota site, despite surpassing preferred height requirements.
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A biomedical behemoth’s new $140 million Melbourne headquarters has been given the green light by council.
City of Melbourne last night unanimously approved a planning application for CSL’s new 16-storey tower in Parkville’s research precinct.
The flagship building at 645 Elizabeth St, the former Toyota site, will reach 86.5 metres — above the 60m preferred height requirement for the area.
But the council’s planning chair Nicholas Reece told the Herald Sun that “all things considered” the research and development tower should be supported.
It will now need to be signed off by Planning Minister Richard Wynne.
“CSL ranks alongside probably only BHP as one of the most famous companies to come out of Melbourne,” Cr Reece said.
“It was started in Melbourne in 1915 to produce vaccinations to support Australia during the war effort.
“A company like CSL could be located in Zurich, in San Diego, in Boston but they have chosen to have their global headquarters in Melbourne.
“That is a great vote of confidence in the city and our great biomedical research precinct.”
CSL is a biomedical giant involved in flu vaccinations, as well as medicines that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies.
A condition of the planning application states that the site must be used for research and development purposes.
It will include seven floors of world-class laboratories, as well as offices for the corporate headquarters for 800 staff.
The Herald Sun understands that PDG will develop the site having inked a 20-year lease with CSL, with the option of a 40-year extension.
CSL’s planned move from its current Poplar Rd site means it will be geographically closer to a string of hospitals and institutes, including the University of Melbourne, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
While the development is due to be complete by 2024, the current application does not include approval for signs promoting CSL.
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Cr Reece called for CSL to apply to be able to display its corporate logo on the building.
“It will serve as a magnet for other global biotech companies to get where the action is and set up shop here in Melbourne,” he said.
“I want the whole world to know that CSL is in Melbourne.”