$58 million, 12-storey apartment tower to transform Geelong gateway – realestate.com.au

A $58 million multi-storey apartment project at the northern gateway to central Geelong is expected to start later this year after the state government approved the project.

The 12-story Ginn + Mercer project will create 81 residential apartments, ground-floor retail and three basement levels at 5-11 Mercer St.

Melbourne-based Anu Corp Developments is behind the project, designed by Geelong-raised architect John Wardle.

The building will surround several commercial buildings, including the Grade II listed former Brown Bros iron store, and is located behind houses overlooking Western Beach.

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The Mercer+Ginn project will be a new gateway project at the northern entrance to central Geelong. Photo: Wardle

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Development is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2026, which is a positive sign for the state government given the acutely slow pace at which private development approvals in the CBD are turning into active projects.

Urban planner Urbis and architect Wardle joined the project after an earlier proposal was withdrawn.

The permit allows a building that is double the preferred height for the address under the Central Geelong Framework Plan.

Geelong Council objected to the plan, but Urbis was involved in extensive collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Planning to respond to feedback on the urban design and demonstrate the feasibility requirements of the larger development plan.

Urbis Geelong director Anson said it is another major development approval by the Victorian Government, demonstrating a commitment to the revitalization of central Geelong as a residential area.

Urbis Geelong director Nat Anson said the project is a major endorsement for the revitalization of central Geelong as a residential postcode. Photo: Peter Ristevski

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“Like Balmoral Quay and Stella Maris before it, this project demonstrates that Geelong’s waterfront offers incredible amenities that inspire outstanding architectural designs and set a great benchmark for the future development of Geelong’s city centre,” Mr Anson said.

“This project begins the transformation of the Mercer St gateway into the city and adds a spectacular silhouette to the central Geelong skyline.”

The mix of apartments includes seven one-bedroom homes, 44 two-bedroom homes, 27 three-bedroom homes and three four-bedroom homes.

The basement parking garage includes 136 parking spaces, seven for motorcycles and 106 for bicycles, but the permit recognizes a reduction in parking requirements.

The building will provide 366 m² of communal space, including areas for a potential gymnasium, dining room, lounge and roof garden.

The project is designed to complement the low-rise homes overlooking Geelong’s waterfront on the Esplanade. Photo: Wardle

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Power lines will be moved underground at a cost of $500,000, while the developer will make a financial contribution worth 3 per cent of the total development costs to Victoria’s Social Housing Growth Fund, which is estimated to be in excess of $1.7 million.

Anu Corp Developments director Srini Bandla said the company was excited to move forward with the groundbreaking project.

“This project is about raising the bar in Geelong,” Bandla said.

“We have chosen what we believe is one of the best possible locations, where panoramic sea views will enhance the lives of so many residents, and have created architecture that only an extremely talented creative visionary could imagine.”

Architect John Wardle, pictured in Yiaga, a restaurant he designed, was behind the design of the project at 5-11 Mercer St, Geelong.

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John Wardle, who studied at Geelong College in the 1970s, said the project builds on the city’s industrial and Victorian heritage, with a distinctly contemporary architectural design that blends in with the waterfront.

“As someone with strong ties to the region, I have placed great emphasis on the character and appearance of this project on Geelong’s waterfront,” Mr Wardle said.

“In doing so, our practice has sought to contribute to further strengthening Geelong’s future as a UNESCO City of Design.”