15 October 2021
Great Old English (Mock Tudor) shops on Commercial Road near Chapel Street, recently sold for $9.8 mill to ‘Malaysian developers’ (I’m told it’s Buelah) – but they’re B graded in the chapel street #heritageprecinct, so pretty safe.
Might replace the rear wings with 10 storeys, but the price reflects shop income I think. Can’t find much about them, but I’d say 1930s, and part has lost its #halftimbering. Love the corner turret, very fairy tale. My photos 2025, michael mitchener photo 4, 2021
August 2025
Seems with Buelah in financial difficulties, the development is now by Leeka, marketed as ‘multi-dimensional wellness residences’. A bit pointy, sort of reflecting the turret, and a bit dominating, actually steps out over, but further setback than most, perhaps keeping the front sections intact as I’d hoped.
12 January 2025
Across the road, there’s some more cheery frilly Mock Tudor. Next door there’s two more sets of three in the same style, but far less elaborate, in fact some have lost much of the stuck-on half timbering. No idea of exact date, but the address covering the whole 8 shops was sold as a single lot in 1936, and found an ad for a shop in 1937, so all probably built that year.
Storey of Melbourne 