Stockland's Collingwood gateway project moves forward

ASX-listed development giant Stockland's return to Melbourne's apartment market has been given the green light.

The developer has secured approval for 478 homes in Collingwood, on a prominent 5,272 sqm Victoria Parade site that has long been home to Jetstar's Melbourne HQ.

The approved Wardle-designed development will see two 17 and 23 storey buildings, that will include a residential mix with apartments, studios, and townhouses, as well as retail spaces and new community green areas.

Stockland Executive General Manager for Apartments Ben Christie said the project would deliver new homes in a part of Melbourne where established transport, employment and amenity are already in place.

The public realm has been a central part of the proposal from its earliest planning stages, with new publicly accessible open space, ground-floor retail and a pedestrian laneway designed to open the currently enclosed site to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Wardle has broken the development into a series of smaller built forms rather than presenting a single continuous frontage, drawing on Collingwood's industrial history through brickwork, articulated façades and robust materials.

Communal gardens, rooftop amenities and shared resident spaces are integrated throughout the development, while the approved plans provide 297 car spaces and 199 bicycle spaces.

The original design report identified the opportunity to add public space as one of the project's key contributions to the surrounding neighbourhood.

"Collingwood has limited access to high-quality parks and public open space, and the proposal delivers valuable new areas for respite, social interaction and fine-grain retail activity," the report stated.

Stockland acquired the Victoria Parade property in December 2024 for a reported $65 million, with the subsequent planning application progressing through the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program.

The site occupies a prominent position at the threshold of Collingwood and East Melbourne, around 1.5 kilometres from Melbourne's CBD and within the Smith Street Major Activity Centre.

Its frontage to the Victoria Parade tram corridor places the future precinct within walking distance of St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy Gardens and the broader Fitzroy and Collingwood retail and hospitality precincts.

Jetstar is expected to remain in the existing building until its lease expires in 2027, ahead of relocating its Melbourne headquarters to One Melbourne Quarter. Construction on Stockland's Collingwood project is currently slated to commence in 2028.