That's Built · Building report

Equity Chambers

472-478 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Generated 8 November 2026
Hotel · Commercial Accommodation

64 mheight

18floors

2021completed

0businesses

10permits

Development milestones

Planning application	2008	Planning application TP-2008-205/C lodged
Approved	By 2018	Planning permit granted (exact date not recorded)
Construction started	Dec 2018	First major construction permit issued
First occupants	Jun 2020	First occupancy permit issued
Completed	2021	Equity Chambers completed: 18 floors

Building team

Owner: Equity Trustees Company
Developer: M&L Hospitality
Architect: Bates Smart
Heritage consultant: Lovell Chen
Builder: Multiplex
Structural engineer: Robert Bird Group
Project manager: Duo Projects
Owner: M&L Hospitality

Planning & subdivision

Zone: CCZ1
Overlays: DDO1, DDO10, HO547, PO1
Strata plan: TP819839 · 1 lots
Scores: 🚆 7 · ☕ 7 · 🌳 7 · ✨ 9

Timeline

2021Equity Chambers completed: 18 floors
Derived from Hotel Management

22 Mar 2021Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street opens
The 244-room Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street opened in March 2021 in the reimagined heritage Equity Chambers building.

2021Council census records it as commercial accommodation, 19 floors
Name recorded: Equity Chambers

Jun 2020First occupancy permit issued
Derived from City of Melbourne building permits

20201 building permit and 13 certificates
Largest: Stage 14 – Feature Stair

9 Apr 2019Hilton signed for Equity Chambers hotel; Bates Smart design
Reports said Michael Kum's M&L Hospitality had secured Hilton Hotels & Resorts for a 244-room hotel rising above and behind the heritage Equity Chambers building, due to open later in 2019. Architecture AU reported that Bates Smart had designed the hotel to adaptively reuse the building, and The Urban Developer said M&L had bought the building in June 2017 for $30 million.

2019Council census records it as unoccupied - under construction, 8 floors
Name recorded: Equity Chambers

20194 building permits
Largest: Stage 14 – Feature Stair

By 2018Planning permit granted (exact date not recorded)
Derived from City of Melbourne Development Activity Monitor

Dec 2018First major construction permit issued
Derived from City of Melbourne building permits

20181 building permit · about $91.7m of new works
Largest: Stage 5 - Structure - stair raft footing, foundations, raft underpinning and floor loading, insitu core walls, precast walls and columns, me

13 Dec 2017Equity Chambers plans changed from apartments to a hotel
CBD News reported that the Equity Chambers redevelopment would become a hotel instead of apartments, with a proposed 250-room hotel and a 17-storey building retaining the facade. The article named Williamson Properties as the developer of the earlier proposal.

2015Council census records it as unoccupied - unused, 6 floors
Name recorded: Equity Chambers

2013Council census records it as unoccupied - unused, 6 floors
Name recorded: EQUITY CHAMBERS

5 May 2010Heritage listing recommended and apartment development approved for Equity Chambers
Australian Jewish News reported that Heritage Victoria recommended the building for the Victorian Heritage Register, and that Williamson Properties had received planning approval for a development on the site that would retain the facade. The article also covered the building's links to Melbourne's first synagogue.

11 Oct 2009Equity Chambers proposed for 16-level apartment tower
A real estate report said plans had been lodged for a 16-level apartment tower behind the historic Equity Chambers building at 472-478 Bourke Street, with apartments already being marketed for sale. The front facade would be retained, and the owners were described as local private investors.

2008Planning application TP-2008-205/C lodged
Derived from City of Melbourne Development Activity Monitor

2004Council census records it as office, 6 floors
Name recorded: EQUITY CHAMBERS

20041 building permit and 1 certificate · about $1.2m of new works
Largest: Internal refurbishment and upgrade of office to Part Level 1

20031 building permit and 1 certificate · about $48k of new works
Largest: Change of use to part of basement,ground and mezzanine levels. Stage-2-All building works to ground and mezzanine levels.

20021 building permit · about $964k of new works
Largest: Change of use to part of basement,ground and mezzanine levels. Stage 1: Internal demolition works (non -structural) to ground & mezzanine l

2002First council census entry: unoccupied - unused, 6 floors

Building permits and certificates (24)

Each cost is the estimate on that record. Stages of a project often repeat its full value, so these don't add up to what was spent.

23 June 2020	Stage 14 – Feature Stair	$91.7m
23 June 2020	Stage 15 - Level 17 & Roof Gantry Steel	$91.7m
23 June 2020	Stage 3 – Piling Work	$91.7m
23 June 2020	Stage 4 – Heritage building – raft footing to new stair	$91.7m
23 June 2020	Stage 9 - Services, conditional	$91.7m
11 June 2020	New building	$2.0m
11 June 2020	Stage 10 - structure –levels 6-16	$91.7m
11 June 2020	Stage 13 – Façade Works	$91.7m
11 June 2020	Stage 1A – Partial Demolition - Partial Demolition to Groud Floor (Ground Floor to Remain)	$2.0m
11 June 2020	Stage 2 – Piling Work	$91.7m
11 June 2020	Stage 6 - Structure – Level 6-10 Steel Flooring	$91.7m
11 June 2020	Stage 7 - Structure – Ground, Mezzanine, Level 1-5 Slab and Level 5 Steel	$91.7m
11 June 2020	Stage 8 – architectural fitout works - conditional	$91.7m
08 Feb 2020	Stage 15 - Level 17 & Roof Gantry Steel	$91.7m
28 Nov 2019	Stage 14 – Feature Stair	$91.7m
26 Aug 2019	Stage 13 – Façade Works	$91.7m
09 Aug 2019	Stage 10 - structure –levels 6-16	$91.7m
09 Aug 2019	Stage 11 – level 11 plantroom	$91.7m
06 Dec 2018	Stage 5 - Structure - stair raft footing, foundations, raft underpinning and floor loading, insitu core walls, precast walls and columns, mezzanine podium steelwork and basement 1 slab	$91.7m
04 Nov 2004	Internal refurbishment and upgrade of office to Part Level 1	$1.2m
22 Oct 2004	Minor alterations Basement	$17k
10 Feb 2003	Installation of a wall wetting sprinkler system to lightwell.	$48k
24 Jan 2003	Change of use to part of basement,ground and mezzanine levels. Stage-2-All building works to ground and mezzanine levels.	$964k
18 Sept 2002	Change of use to part of basement,ground and mezzanine levels. Stage 1: Internal demolition works (non -structural) to ground & mezzanine levels. Monash University Faculty of Law	$964k

Questions and answers

Is Equity Chambers residential or commercial?
Equity Chambers is a hotel or serviced apartments. The City of Melbourne lists its main use as commercial accommodation.

When was Equity Chambers built?
Equity Chambers was completed in 2021.

How many floors does Equity Chambers have?
Equity Chambers has 18 floors above ground.

Does Equity Chambers have hotel or student accommodation?
The City of Melbourne records 250 hotel rooms at Equity Chambers.

Who designed and built Equity Chambers?
M&L Hospitality developed Equity Chambers, Bates Smart designed it and Multiplex built it. The building team section has the sources.

How tall is Equity Chambers?
About 64 metres, measured from the City of Melbourne's 3D building model. It's number 218 of 1596 buildings in Melbourne by height.

What public transport is near Equity Chambers?
Flagstaff Station is the nearest train station, about 6 minutes' walk. The nearest tram stop is Queen St/Bourke St #4, about 1 minute's walk.

What is the planning zone for Equity Chambers?
The site is in the Capital City Zone - Schedule 1 (CCZ1). It's also under a Heritage Overlay (HO547).

Does Equity Chambers have an owners corporation?
Plan of subdivision TP819839 has 1 lot.

Has any work been done on Equity Chambers recently?
The City of Melbourne has issued 10 building permits for Equity Chambers since 2002. The most recent was in February 2020.

Sources: City of Melbourne building permits (CC BY 4.0); CLUE building information (CC BY 4.0); CLUE business establishments (CC BY 4.0); Development Activity Monitor (CC BY 4.0); Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) (Open G-NAF EULA (CC BY 4.0 based)). General information from public records, not legal, financial or building advice.