Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has signed a 10-year lease at the Deague Group’s 101 Moray Street commercial building in South Melbourne.
SCA will take up approximately 3,000sqm on the second floor of the commercial building, with a view to move around mid-2022. Their neighbours will include other big names in the media space, including oOh Media and Adobe.
SCA chief financial officer, Nick McKechnie, said that staying in South Melbourne was important as the city fringe suburb is the long-established heart of much of Melbourne’s advertising industry.
McKechnie said, “SCA’s business is constantly evolving, and with the recent launch of LiSTNR, we are creating more audio content than ever. This, paired with the fact that, like most organisations, SCA introduced new flexible working arrangements post-Covid, meant we needed to reconsider how we will get the most out of the physical workspace.
“101 Moray will enable SCA to gain efficiencies from its studio facilities, which will all be digitally branded so they can be utilised for any audio content production across all our brands, including Hit and Triple M.
“Live radio remains at the heart of SCA’s business, and the office will be designed around the studios from which SCA’s extensive talent roster entertain Melbourne each and every day,” he said.
SCA chief marketing officer, Nikki Clarkson added that another appealing aspect of 101 Moray Street is the opportunity to bring the team together on one floor, enhancing collaboration and understanding.
“Live radio and digital audio are at the heart of SCA’s business, and the office will be designed around SCA’s audio studios enabling its extensive talent roster to entertain Melbourne and Australia each and every day,” she said.
“The blank canvas of the new office will ensure SCA creates a vibrant workplace that reflects the latest thinking in workplace design to enable teams to effectively collaborate both in-person and remotely.”
Deague Group managing director, Jonathan Deague, said he was glad to welcome another high-profile media tenant to 101 Moray Street, which following the deal with SCA, is now approximately 95% let.
“The South Melbourne location of 101 Moray has naturally attracted tenants in the media and advertising industries; this inner-city suburb has long been a popular destination for the industry, and we’re delighted to play a role in its evolution.
“The gentrification of this area and strong development pipeline of office stock in recent years has attracted larger corporates and listed businesses seeking the amenity of a newly constructed asset, in a precinct which has traditionally comprised of low-density freestanding office accommodation.
“With 101 Moray Street, it was always our intent to overdeliver on health and wellness amenity in particular, which is why we have a fully managed gym, end of trip facilities, F45 studio, indoor sports court, the golf simulator and neuropod.
“We have also expanded and diversified with the introduction of Central House, which rewrites the script when it comes to both flexible and co-working arrangements and very much aligns with where many businesses see their physical space needs heading.
“We think it’s paid off, given we’re almost at capacity, and while much has been said about the pandemic’s impact on the commercial office sector, delivering commercially viable spaces that people actually want to spend time will be what determines the future of offices,” Deague concluded.