New life is about to be given to one of Canberra’s most historic buildings, as the refurbished West Block in the Parliamentary Triangle is set to offer the best of both worlds.

Prospective office occupiers will have the opportunity to establish a base in “one of the jewels in the city’s property crown”.

Colliers director office leasing, Aaron Bruce, said, “West Block was built in 1928 and was home to the Commonwealth Government of Australia continuously for over 80 years, and most recently the Australian Electoral Commission until 2015.

“It is in a prime position within Canberra’s political and original commercial centre. West Block sits at the base of Parliament House in the Parkes precinct. It is surrounded by national institutions, including the National Gallery and the Museum of Australian Democracy. It occupies one of the most powerfully positioned footprints in any Canberra office market, with its immediate neighbours including the Treasury Department and the National Archives of Australia.

“The new owners, Oceana Property Group, are undertaking a major refurbishment to modernise and upgrade West Block’s office spaces. Once completed at the end of this year, West Block’s beautiful heritage shell will be complemented by a contemporary A-grade interior.”

The current plan allows for the proposed light rail extension to have a stop directly at West Block’s front door, while the famous Hyatt Hotel Canberra, one of the city’s first hotels, is across the road.

“The connection between new and old continues beyond the building’s footprint. The property has 350 car spaces in its direct vicinity on the Eastern and Western sides, which is a significantly higher ratio than today’s commercial buildings usually have access to,” Mr Bruce said.

Suites ranging from 500sqm to whole building footprints of 8,000sqm will be available for lease in the refurbished West Block building.

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