Thriving not-for-profit selectability spreads its wings into new Townsville CBD space

A thriving organisation that was bursting at the seams with staff has snapped a large space in the Townsville CBD to spread their wings. See why their employees are all smiles.

selectability have a new corporate head office at 131 Denham Street. Knight Frank Townsville sales and leasing executive Mark Fitzgerald, selectability Chief Operating Officer Aaron Farrell and selectability CEO Debra Burden Picture: Shae Beplate.

A thriving not-for-profit organisation that ran out of room to fit more staff has celebrated moving into a luxurious Townsville CBD building with plenty of room to grow.

One of regional Queensland’s largest and leading providers of mental health services, employing over 720 people, selectability delivers vital programs around mental wellbeing and suicide prevention.

Chief executive Debra Burden said staff were all smiles after completing the head office move from Charles St, Aitkenvale and corporate team from Cambridge St, Vincent, into the spacious building at 131 Denham St on Monday.

They signed a seven-year lease on the 725 sqm building in November, just months after leasing the building across the road at 134 Denham St.

selectability CEO Debra Burden at 131 Denham St with their other property at 134 Denham St in the background. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Ms Burden said the move was necessary given that their former building was at 150 per cent staff capacity, where she was sharing an office with three other staff.

Their new building featured undercover carparking, a very large board room, “one of the best staff meal rooms in the city”, plenty of space for their 36 staff, 15 spare desks, and two large spare rooms yet to be fitted out,

After modernising the space and opening up for natural light, she said it was “just beautiful”.

“We’ve tipped our hat to the history of the building and kept the beautiful timber doors in here, it’s really come up spectacular,” she said.

Not-for-profit organisation selectability have a new corporate head office at 131 Denham Street. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Not-for-profit organisation selectability have a new corporate head office at 131 Denham Street. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The organisation was experiencing strong growth throughout North Queensland, also securing buildings in Ingham, Sarina, Mackay, and Charters Towers.

It was the success experienced in the Cairns CBD that inspired their Townsville CBD move.

“We had 40 employees (in Cairns), when we moved into the high-profile, really branded up building and within 12 months, we had 120 employees,” she said.

“We just had people walking in the door so we realised very quickly that being in the CBD in a good location, with good branding, can really change the community’s perception of selectability.”

Not-for-profit organisation selectability have a new corporate head office at 131 Denham Street. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Not-for-profit organisation selectability have a new corporate head office at 131 Denham Street. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Knight Frank Townsville sales and leasing executive Mark Fitzgerald said the convenience of having selectability’s other building located across the road was a big plus.

“(They were attracted to) the location, with a high visibility, the traffic exposure with a good layout with the fit-out they’re going to do in there,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

“(selectability also liked) the size of the tenancy which could handle their growing staff, the good carparking, central location, and the full disability access.”

He said there was a lot of demand for smaller commercial spaces in the CBD, especially for owner occupiers to buy properties and upgrade them.

Originally published as Thriving not-for-profit selectability spreads its wings into new Townsville CBD space