Fortis brings residential and hospitality together at The Gild in St Kilda

There are few parts of Melbourne where the line between home, hospitality and lifestyle is as blurred as St Kilda, and that is the idea Fortis is leaning into with its $131 million mixed-use development The Gild.

Rather than simply delivering 45 apartments on Fitzroy Street, Fortis is looking to create a genuine mixed-use destination where residents can grab a coffee or something for dinner downstairs, retreat to private gardens and wellness spaces within the building, entertain overlooking Port Phillip Bay from the rooftop, or walk a few hundred metres to St Kilda Beach.

It is a proposition shaped as much by what is happening at street level as what is being created above it.

The five-level development at 61-73 Fitzroy Street occupies a substantial 2,660 sqm site and will combine 45 one, two and three-bedroom residences and penthouses with a 65-metre retail frontage that Fortis hopes will become part of the everyday fabric of Fitzroy Street.

That ground-floor component is now beginning to take shape, with Lamaro's Hotel publican and former AFL player Paul Dimattina signing a 12-year lease across two tenancies.

Dimattina will operate a 180 sqm café serving Dimattina Coffee alongside a 202 sqm neighbourhood deli offering produce, prepared meals and pantry staples. Both are expected to open alongside the completion of The Gild in 2028.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the revitalisation of Fitzroy Street, St Kilda—it has such a rich identity, and it feels like the right home for what we're building,” Dimattina said.

“The café and deli will be an ode to our family’s history, culture, and our love of coffee and gourmet foods.”

For Fortis, the hospitality offering is an important part of making The Gild as much a Fitzroy Street project as it is a residential one.

“At Fortis, we believe in placemaking that reflects the soul of a neighbourhood; creating spaces that endure and contribute meaningfully to the precinct,” Fortis Associate Director, Avalon Nethery, said.

Above the retail frontage, Fortis has worked with architecture and interior design studio Telha Clarke and landscape architect Florian Wild on a building that draws heavily from St Kilda's architectural and cultural history.

The façade takes cues from the suburb's post-war mansions and European Riviera architecture, with strong built forms softened by landscaping. Scalloped detailing, perforated metal screens and planted terraces add texture and greenery as the building rises above Fitzroy Street.

“Every detail at The Gild reflects a dialogue between past and present,” Telha Clarke Director Tim Clarke said.

“We drew on St Kilda’s storied character to shape grounded yet timeless homes, layered with restorative wellness spaces, tranquil garden escapes, and a rooftop retreat that frames the city and bay in changing light.”

That approach continues inside the residences, where natural stone, timber flooring, integrated V-ZUG appliances and custom joinery form the base material palette.

Some apartments feature oversized terraces and secondary living areas, while selected main bedrooms have dedicated walk-in robes, catering to buyers looking for the scale and functionality of a more traditional home without giving up the walkability of inner Melbourne.

The penthouses take the proposition a step further.

Spread across two levels, they feature internal courtyards and sculptural staircases connecting the main residence to private rooftops overlooking Port Phillip Bay and the Melbourne skyline. Kitchens add butler's pantries, waterfall stone benchtops and custom lighting by Melbourne studio Southdrawn, while rooftop configurations include open-air entertaining areas and the option of a plunge pool.

At ground level, a private dining room sits alongside an adaptable wellness studio with sauna and steam room, while a landscaped residents' courtyard creates another retreat..

Up top, a communal rooftop with an alfresco kitchen and outdoor entertaining spaces takes advantage of views across the bay and towards Melbourne's skyline.

The Gild is also arriving at an important time for Fitzroy Street, which has been attracting a new wave of private investment.

The project forms part of the Fortis-led St Kilda Collective, alongside ERDI's redevelopment of the former Rydges into Novotel St Kilda, Ondas' development at 3-15 Fitzroy Street and the City of Port Phillip. Together, the group represents more than $196 million in development activity across the precinct.

Nethery said bringing operators such as Dimattina to the street was central to rebuilding the kind of everyday activity that has historically made Fitzroy Street a destination.

“Paul Dimattina’s café and deli at The Gild are exactly the kind of everyday hospitality offerings Fitzroy Street has been missing,” Nethery said.

“We expect these venues to become part of the local routine for residents and a drawcard for visitors, helping to bring activity back to the precinct.”

For future residents, much of that changing precinct will effectively sit on the doorstep.

The Gild is around 300 metres from St Kilda Beach, while St Kilda Pier, Albert Park and the Palais Theatre are all nearby. Fitzroy Street's restaurants, cafés and retail start downstairs, giving the project a rare combination of inner-city amenity and a genuine bayside setting.

BCentral is delivering The Gild, with construction underway and completion scheduled for early 2028.

Residences at The Gild start from $1.35 million.