source : the age
Adrian Fini-led developer Human Urban has unveiled its $110 million redevelopment of Fremantle’s historic Elders Wool Stores, which will see the 100-year-old structures repurposed to accommodate boutique apartments, co-living rental units, a tavern, restaurant and retail outlets.
The Fini group arm has lodged a development application for the revamp, which would see the original 1927 building and the façades of the 1950s structure retained and restored with between two and three additional storeys.
Artist’s impression of the Elders Wool
Stores in Fremantle.Credit: Human Urban.
The four-storey brick warehouse, which spans 20,000 square metres of Cantonment Street at the southern side of Fremantle Harbour, has sat dormant for several decades after it ceased storing wool in the 1980s.
The site has been earmarked for several developments, including one spearheaded by the daughter of Midland Brick founder Ric New.
Fini — best known for his redevelopment of the State Buildings —purchased the property alongside business partner Ben Lisle via his property venture Hesperia in February 2022 before embarking on a two-year investigation into how best to utilise the iconic heritage site.
The redevelopment will feature six three-level town homes, 33 boutique apartments with between one and three bedrooms and 174 units with communal facilities — marking the introduction of co-living in Fremantle.
The first floor of the heritage structure will be occupied by restaurants, cafes, bars and small retailers.
Director Kyle Jeavons said the scale of the Elders Wool Stores building and its location meant there would be no comparable development in Perth, and would be comparable to adaptive re-use projects in large industrial buildings that occupy major cities across Europe and the United States.
“Throughout our design process we have always understood that this project is uniquely Fremantle, and we have a special responsibility to make sure our plans benefit the City and make a major contribution to re-activating this part of the CBD for future generations,” he said.
The project is expected to be the largest of its kind since the State Buildings were completed.
Construction is tipped to commence during the first quarter of 2026, pending state development approval and the appointment of a builder, and would be completed by mid-2028.
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