Developer Fortis has secured Salon Lane’s first Melbourne location at its $330m mixed-use development, Richmond Square – with the hair, beauty and wellness operator taking a 675sq m tenancy across two levels on a 10-year lease.
Salon Lane will join high-profile Melbourne restaurateur Guy Grossi, who recently signed on as the anchor tenant with plans to establish separate restaurant venues at Richmond Square in two ground-floor tenancies spanning 292sq m and 161sqm.
Scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year, Salon Lane brings together independent hair, beauty and wellness professionals operating from private, fully equipped studios.
In a statement, Fortis Development associate director Mitch Crawford said the vision for Richmond Square has been to create a destination that brings people together. “Salon Lane…is an innovative, premium operator that aligns with the lifestyle expectations of both residents and the broader Richmond community, while further strengthening the calibre of businesses choosing to be part of the precinct,” Mr Crawford said.
Founded in Sydney in 2020 by Jared Keen, Lance Kalish and Moss Kadey, Salon Lane was created to give established hair, beauty and wellness professionals an alternative to traditional salon ownership.
Richmond Square residents are set to move in from September, with the precinct taking shape as a mixed use lifestyle precinct. A limited selection of two and three-bedroom residences are still available, starting from $1.249m.
However, 39 apartments have already sold at an average sale price of $1.7m. Other Melbourne hospitality identities coming to Richmond Square include Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh, who have purchased a 550sqm penthouse. Sources said The Big Group founders paid about $10m for the penthouse ahead of completion, in a major residential price record for the area.
Fortis has long experience partnering with celebrity hospitality operators, including Baker Bleu and Suupaa at 65 Dover Street in the Melbourne suburb of Cremorne, and Neil Perry’s restaurants Margaret, Café Margaret, Gran Torino and Pizzeria Sotto in Sydney’s wealthy Double Bay. Richmond Square comprises two and three-bedroom apartments priced at up to $4.25m in two separate buildings, Carmine House, which was designed by Hecker Guthrie, and Wiltshire House, designed by SJB.
The project, fronting 1-5 Wiltshire Street, Richmond will also include a 57-room hotel. Fortis is yet to disclose the identity of the hotel’s operator.
