Doyle launches new real estate office

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle opened Barry Plant Real Estate’s new Docklands office on March 29.

Cr Doyle said he was always delighted to promote businesses in Docklands.  He remarked that the new office was directly opposite his favourite Melbourne building, The Gauge.

He said the City of Melbourne was seeking more involvement in the second decade of Docklands development and beyond.  In particular, he said the council had lots to offer “at the street level at a human scale”.

He said it was important to let Docklands develop its own unique community identity.  To do this, he said planners needed to have a vision of where the community should be in 15 years and then work back from that.

Barry Plant Real Estate director Daniel Cole told of his journey which started seven years ago with a letter drop at the newly-built Arkley tower in NewQuay which yielded 30 calls from vendors desperate to the serviced.

Mr Cole operated from Port Melbourne but clearly saw Docklands as the natural centre for his business.

Five years ago he opened a small office under the Watergate building and 18 months ago started planning the current move.

He reminded guests that Docklands was Melbourne’s premier residential address and that it was a “life choice, not a financial choice” to live here.