{"id":81427,"date":"2026-08-27T06:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/81427\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T06:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:52:17","slug":"melbournes-east-vacant-sites-stuck-in-planning-limbo-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/81427\/","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne\u2019s east vacant sites stuck in planning limbo revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sprawling multimillion-dollar pockets of prime real estate across Melbourne\u2019s east remain locked in planning limbo, with several prominent sites sitting vacant for years. <\/p>\n

Ambitious blueprints for these blocks range from soaring 36-storey residential towers, hotels, and bustling shopping complexes to council-led visions for expansive public parklands.<\/p>\n

From historic brickworks to former night-life and automotive hubs, these locations have become targets for graffiti and neglect. <\/p>\n

837 Whitehorse Road and 3-5 Poplar Street, Box Hill<\/p>\n

A long-vacant block of land with permit approvals for a 36-storey high-rise remains on the market with an asking price of $25m. <\/p>\n

The vacant block at 837 Whitehorse Rd and 3-5 Poplar St was listed for sale earlier this year<\/a>, with the corner block boasting permit approval for 320 dwellings and retail spaces.<\/p>\n

Teska & Carson real estate agent Stephen Speck said the opportunity was \u201cincredibly rare\u201d because of the uninterrupted city views afforded by the site, which sits at the \u201cgateway to Box Hill\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been interest from Chinese and Vietnamese developers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has still also been some interest from local builders.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proposed 36-storey tower \u2014 designed by the renowned architectural firm Peddle Thorp \u2014 could include a mix of apartments, serviced accommodation, a hotel and office spaces.<\/p>\n

There are also \u201cconcept plans\u201d for an additional 120 serviced apartments to be added to the site.<\/p>\n

Mr Speck said potential buyers could make use of the approved permit for the site or they could explore alternative options including build-to-rent housing, medical or education facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe owners decided to sell because they do not have the time or the power to develop this space because they have too many projects,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo this is a great opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The site has sat vacant for more than seven years after a string of residential and commercial buildings were levelled, creating a massive \u201csuper lot\u201d that has been waiting nearly a decade for a developer to turn the first sod.<\/p>\n

Box Hill Brickworks <\/p>\n

The historic Box Hill Brickworks site is the subject of a battle between Whitehorse Council and developers after councillors voted to try and purchase the 7ha former Brickworks.<\/p>\n

The Brickworks opened in 1884 and produced machine and hand made bricks, tiles, earthenware and porcelain until 1988.<\/p>\n

The Brickworks site has sat fenced off and vacant since.<\/p>\n

Councillors voted to authorise council officers to enter into negotiations for the potential purchase of the site at 14 Federation St in October, with a plan to turn the site into open parklands.<\/p>\n

The purchase attempt came at a time when site owners, development company Phileo Australia, unveiled plans to build 10-storey towers \u2014 with the potential for even larger apartment complexes \u2014 during public hearings for the Suburban Rail Loop East Precincts advisory committee.<\/p>\n

Planning documents revealed the controversial changes to the plans for the former Box Hill quarry and landfill.<\/p>\n

The new plans include towers of up to 10-storeys<\/a> and potentially even taller \u2014 with no specified height limit \u2014 in the middle of the site.<\/p>\n

The updated plans are yet to be officially approved or publicly advertised.<\/p>\n

The site\u2019s owners, Phileo Australia, previously advertised plans for a fixed 21m height limit covering the whole site at 14 Federation St, restricting all residential towers to five or six storeys.<\/p>\n

Locals are against any residential development at the site and would rather it be transformed into public open green space.<\/p>\n

Old Belgrave Motors Site \u2014 14 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave <\/p>\n

Locals and Yarra Ranges council successfully banded together to stop a controversial multistorey development at the vacant Belgrave Motors site \u2014 but despite their victory, the property remains a derelict eyesore. <\/p>\n

The Monbulk Rd site has sat empty since 2018, when land owners refused to renew the mechanic\u2019s lease in a bid to redevelop the property into a shopping centre development. <\/a><\/p>\n

The plans, submitted by developers Pulitano Properties, included a supermarket shops, cafe, offices and a childcare centre.<\/p>\n

Locals \u2014 including the Save Belgrave Township Group \u2014 ran a fierce campaign against the proposed development due to fears it would have an impact on the vegetation surrounding the Puffing Billy Railway. <\/p>\n

In 2020, the council voted to refuse to grant a planning permit on a number of grounds, including overdevelopment of the site, a lack of detailed traffic analysis, and a failure to provide pedestrian links to the nearby train station.<\/p>\n

The refusal decision was upheld by VCAT <\/a>in 2022. <\/p>\n

Four years on from the permit refusal, no new plans have been made for the dilapidated eyesore.<\/p>\n

93-97 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood<\/p>\n

The massive former Rivers clearance outlet in Ringwood has been sitting vacant for years, waiting for developers to transform the glaring eyesore.<\/p>\n

The site operated as the iconic Jooce nightclub in the 1990s before it was repurposed into a commercial hub including a Genesis gym and the Rivers warehouse.<\/p>\n

The gym remains open, but the former Rivers store has sat fenced off and vacant since it closed. <\/p>\n

The site boasts approved permits for an 11-storey tower featuring 256 residential apartments, 11 townhouses, and retail spaces on the lower levels.<\/p>\n

The property was sold in late 2024 to international developers for $18.88m.<\/p>\n

Construction is yet to begin at the site, but a new planning application for construction amendments and the installation of development signage was listed with Maroondah Council in early June.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sprawling multimillion-dollar pockets of prime real estate across Melbourne\u2019s east remain locked in planning limbo, with several 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