Off the plan Fitzroy apartment breaks suburb record at circa $10M

23 February 2024

The record for an apartment within one of Melbourne’s oldest suburbs, Fitzroy, has hit a new high following the amalgamation of three apartments to create a lavish circa $10M home.

The record sale was achieved in Chapter Group’s Fitzroy project on Smith Street, with the purchaser opting to merge three apartments on the top floor into an expansive 400sqm home, complete with 120sqm of outdoor entertaining area.

The buyer, an Australian-born local in their 30s, currently residing overseas who plans to live in Fitzroy upon completion, was attracted to the project’s central location on Smith Street and the ability to create their dream home in the sky.

The penthouse buyer went through a customisation process for the floorplan and interior finishes with DKO and Chapter Group – the result is a whole-floor four-bedroom apartment with five bathrooms, a library room, a games room, a formal lounge, a living room, a dining room, a mud room, laundry and butler’s kitchen, as well as beautiful 360-degree views and parking for six cars.

The buyer will also have access to the project’s residential amenities including a residents-only ‘Smith Club’ with communal bar and dining, private meeting and work-from-home spaces and an expansive tranquil rooftop garden on level nine designed by TCL.

Designed by DKO Architecture, Fitzroy sits behind a grand heritage brick facade, once home to MacRobertson’s Garage and Workshop, and reaches nine storeys high, complete with angular rooftops and a chamfered western side to create sunlit internal spaces and generous viewlines.

Internally, two colour schemes are on offer, both inspired by the culture and character of Fitzroy – the Avant Scheme is marked by fresh, natural finishes and a muted colour palette, while the Gastronome Scheme is bold, unrestrained and modern.

“Fitzroy initially launched with 56 apartments and six townhomes but following a number of amalgamations, the project make-up has shrunk to 52 apartments and five townhomes,” says Dean Lefkos, Chapter Group Founder & Director.

“All buyers to date have been owner-occupiers, very much from within the local area ranging from 20s to 60s, comprising downsizers, empty nesters and young professionals.

“Buyers have largely been attracted to the heritage facade and unique design of Fitzroy, particularly the way it fuses old with new. Apartments and terrace homes boast industrial features the suburb is known and loved for – angular rooftops, concrete, steel and brick, yet a modern edge is evident via fluted glass, brass accents and natural stone,” he said.

At ground level, an internal laneway connects Smith Street to the residents’ lobby, inspired by the local arcades in Melbourne’s CBD, complete with ground-floor residential amenities and two retail tenancies.

Fitzroy is 70 per cent sold and is currently under construction. Custom floorplans are still available, with completion scheduled for Q4 2025. There is a further opportunity for a full-floor exclusive residence, up to 650sqm to be fully customised.

Remaining apartments are priced from $650,000 and townhomes prices from $3.1m.