260 Collins

Starting in the late 1870s, this block of Collins Street was home to the city's most fashionable stores, such as milliners, glove-importers, portrait painters, photographers and hairdressers. Businesses such as George's Emporium, Allan's and Glen's music and Mullens' Bookshop and Lending Library drew the cream of Melbourne society. The act of promenading here became a social pastime, known as ‘doing the block’, and the street became known simply as "The Block", a title taken up by the Block Arcade, built 1890–93.{{Cite web|url=http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00479b.htm|title=Doing the Block - Entry - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online|last=School of Historical Studies|first=Department of History|website=www.emelbourne.net.au|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-01-31}} Gunstler's Cafe (at about 280 Collins Street) was established in 1879 and was amongst the most fashionable restaurants in the city. In 1890 it was renamed the Vienna Café, which in 1908 was purchased by Greek Australian restaurateur Antony J. Lucas.{{Cite web|url=http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00109b.htm|title=Australia Hotel - Entry - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online|last=School of Historical Studies|first=Department of History|website=www.emelbourne.net.au|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-01-31}} During World War I the name of the cafe became controversial, and Lucas responded by expanding and completely rebuilding the interior in 1916, and it reopened as the Cafe Australia, the finest tea-room in the city.{{cite book |last1=Annear |first1=Robyn |title=A City Lost & Found: Whelan the Wrecker's Melbourne |date=2005 |publisher=Black Inc. |isbn=9781863953894 |page=215 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nHuo2JTk_FEC&pg=PA218 |access-date=23 August 2017 |language=en}} Designed by US trained architect Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, it was their first completed major work in their adopted country, and featured fountains, sculpture, planting, indirect lighting, and their distinctive intricate geometric detailing. In the late 1930s, the Cafe was demolished and replaced by the Hotel Australia, completed in mid 1939. Designed by Leslie M. Perrott, it was a 12-storey building with 94 rooms, numerous private dining and function rooms, and was the most prestigious hotel in Melbourne in its day.{{cite web |last1=Spicer |first1=Chrystopher J |title=Australia Hotel |url=http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00109b.htm |website=www.emelbourne.net.au |publisher=School of Historical Studies, Department of History, The University of Melbourne |access-date=23 August 2017 |language=en-gb}} It included an arched-roofed ballroom which was a simplified version of the main Cafe Australia space. The hotel included two small cinemas,{{Cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/52938|title=Australia Two Theatre in Melbourne, AU - Cinema Treasures|website=cinematreasures.org|access-date=2020-01-31}} a restaurant and bar in the basement, and a through-block shopping arcade on the ground floor which was touted as the largest in Australia, known as the Australia Arcade.

In 1989, the Hotel Australia was demolished to make way for a new development, completed in 1992, the Australia on Collins shopping arcade and four star hotel. The building's architecture, designed by Buchan Laid & Bawden (now the Buchan Group) was variously described as postmodern and imitating art deco style,{{cite web|url=http://www.adonline.id.au/buildings/australia-on-collins/|title=Australia on Collins|last1=Dimech|first1=Adam|website=Melbourne Buildings|access-date=23 August 2017}} and the shopping levels were ramped up and down from the street entrances in order to maximise the number of shops, and which resulted in a confusing layout. In later years, Australia on Collins was criticised as "a poor man's temple to the great god of commercialism" and included in a list of Melbourne's worst buildings by The Age newspaper.{{cite news |last1=Munro |first1=Peter |title=A blight on sore eyes: are these our worst buildings? |url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/a-blight-on-sore-eyes-are-these-our-worst-buildings-20100213-nyj0.html |access-date=3 September 2017 |work=The Age |date=14 February 2010}} The shopping centre in this period included approximately 100 shops and a food court with space for 750 diners.

In April 2014, owner LaSalle Investment Management (LIM) announced that the "dysfunctional" centre would be closed for a redevelopment costing$30 million. Architects Ashton Raggat McDougall were engaged to improve the building's "sight lines" and to prevent customers from feeling "trapped", which resulted in the shopping levels being reduced from five levels to four, without the ramping. LIM stated that the redeveloped centre would be made up of larger stores with a focus on international brands.{{cite news |last1=Johanson |first1=Simon |title=Collins Street mall to become another luxury retail centre |url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/collins-street-mall-to-become-another-luxury-retail-centre-20140401-35wbu.html |access-date=3 September 2017 |work=The Age |date=2 April 2014}}

The redeveloped St. Collins Lane opened on 16 May 2016 and was immediately placed on the market by its owners, along with the Melbourne Novotel hotel.{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Lisa |last2=Condon |first2=Turi |title=LaSalle puts $500m Melbourne hotel, retail complex on the block |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/lasalle-puts-500m-melbourne-hotel-retail-complex-on-the-block/news-story/33f49e3fe316fae257b901863e13f36c |access-date=3 September 2017 |work=The Weekend Australian |date=27 April 2016}} The centre had an approximately 70% tenancy rate at opening and was hoped by its owners to rival the recently opened Emporium Melbourne on Lonsdale Street.{{cite news |last1=Johanson |first1=Simon |title=St Collins Lane opens in May, set to rival Emporium |url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/property/st-collins-lane-opens-in-may-set-to-rival-emporium-20160301-gn7bqv.html |access-date=3 September 2017 |work=The Age |date=2 March 2016}}

St. Collins Lane was purchased in November 2016 by JPMorgan Asset Management for a reported price of $247 million.{{cite news |last1=Wilmot |first1=Ben |title=JPMorgan buys city precinct |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/jpmorgan-buys-st-collins-lane-in-melbourne/news-story/b7bb49dece1740392cbca0029efaef72 |access-date=3 September 2017 |work=The Australian|date=14 November 2016}} In March 2020, JPMorgan was trying to offload the struggling mall for $150 million {{Cite web|url=https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/jp-morgan-offloads-st-collins-lane-|title = JP Morgan Offloads St Collins Lane|date = 6 March 2020}}

In December 2020, JP Morgan sold St Collins Lane to Credit Suisse for about $122 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/mall-deal-sealed-in-melbourne-cbd-despite-lockdown-20201008-p5639o|title=Mall deal sealed in Melbourne CBD despite lockdown|date=12 October 2020|website=Australian Financial Review}} Following UBS’ global bailout of Credit Suisse in March 2023,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230612-ubs-credit-suisse-acquisition.html|title = UBS completes Credit Suisse acquisition |date = 12 June 2023}} control of the fund that held the mall transferred to UBS Asset Management, with Kaipara Property Group subsequently installed as the asset and development manager.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/ubs-bets-on-co-working-and-bowling-to-fix-troubled-melbourne-mall-20240520-p5jeyp|title=UBS bets on co-working and bowling to fix troubled Melbourne mall|date=20 May 2024|website=Australian Financial Review}}

As of February 2025, 260 Collins was under renovation.

The mall has struggled to find tenants. In 2017 it had 45% vacancy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/250m-melbourne-mall-st-collins-lane-battling-high-vacancies-20170628-gx01ug|title = $250m Melbourne mall St Collins Lane battling high vacancies|date = 4 July 2017}}

{{As of|2018}} the centre had 35{{Cite news|url=http://www.stcollinslane.com/directory|title=Directory {{!}} St. Collins Lane Unique Melbourne Shopping Destination|access-date=2018-02-21}} operating stores that included clothing, footwear and cosmetics outlets, as well as a food court. Key tenants include Swatch, Coach, Furla, The Kooples, Tag Heuer, Birkenstock, Bremont{{Cite news|url=https://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/leasing/bremont-claudie-pierlot-and-xmas-popups-at-jp-morgans-st-collins-lane-20181112-h17szl|title=Bremont, Claudie Pierlot and Xmas pop-ups at JP Morgan's St Collins Lane|date=2018-11-14|work=Australian Financial Review|access-date=2018-11-20|language=en-US}} and Leica.{{Cite news|url=https://stcollinslane.com.au/article/melbournes-first-leica-store-and-gallery-is-almost-here/|title=Melbourne's first Leica Store and Gallery is here {{!}} St. Collins Lane|work=St. Collins Lane|access-date=2018-11-20|language=en-US}}

UK department store Debenhams had an outlet in the shopping centre from October 2017{{Cite news|url=https://www.insideretail.com.au/blog/2017/10/24/debenhams-kicks-off-at-st-collins-lane/|title=Debenhams kicks off at St Collins Lane |date=2017-10-24|work=Inside Retail|access-date=2018-02-21|language=en-US}} until January 2020.

{{Reflist}}

• File:St-collins-lane-level-2-shops.jpg{{Official website|https://stcollinslane.com.au}}

{{Melbourne City Centre landmarks}}

Category:Shopping centres in Melbourne

Category:2016 establishments in Australia

Category:Collins Street, Melbourne

Category:Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre