Construction begins on major student tower at 570 Little Bourke St

Construction has officially begun on a major new student accommodation tower at 570 Little Bourke St, with project partners marking the milestone at a ground-breaking and time capsule ceremony in the CBD on March 23.

The $300 million purpose-built student accommodation project will deliver 892 beds across 748 units in a 26-level building, making it one of the largest student housing developments to commence in the CBD in recent years. UniLodge has also been confirmed as the operator, with students expected to move in for semester one, 2028.

Representatives from Hickory, MaxCap and UniLodge were joined at the ceremony by Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell, former Lord Mayor Sally Capp, and representatives from RMIT University and The University of Melbourne.

The project is being developed as a joint venture between Hickory and MaxCap, with Hickory also acting as builder. It is the first project Hickory has delivered under its integrated builder-developer model, which the company says helps reduce planning and delivery risk while providing greater certainty around construction outcomes.

Designed by Nettletontribe, the development will include a library, gymnasium, cinema, music room, group dining areas, lounges and games spaces. The design also aims to improve a long-neglected stretch of the western CBD by reinterpreting the site’s historic character and surrounding bluestone, sandstone and red brick streetscape.

Importantly, the project will also revive the historic Great Western Hotel, introduce new retail spaces, activate the adjoining Brown Alley and improve pedestrian safety and access between Lonsdale and Little Bourke streets.

The development forms part of a broader push by Hickory to reshape this part of the city. The company is also progressing a second major western CBD project at 580 Lonsdale St, the former Kilkenny Inn site, meaning the two developments will collectively deliver around 1250 student accommodation units while restoring two historic pubs, the Great Western Hotel and the Kilkenny Inn.

That combination of new housing and heritage hospitality echoes the recent reopening of the Waterside Hotel nearby and reflects the changing character of King St’s western end, where older building stock is increasingly being paired with new residential and accommodation uses.

MaxCap’s Simon Hulett said the project would help address housing supply pressures while strengthening a well-located part of the CBD. UniLodge executive chairman Peter Bates said the development would support local universities, enhance Melbourne’s reputation as a global education city and help ease pressure on the private rental market.

With works now under way and completion expected in late 2027, the project marks another significant investment in the western end of the CBD, where student housing, hospitality and heritage restoration are increasingly going hand in hand.  •