Dull? Drab? Dreary? Think again – Hawthorn Road is getting a glow-up

Spanning a straight, 5.6km expanse of southeast suburbia, Hawthorn Road is one of Melbourne’s most recognisable routes.

Connecting Malvern with Brighton East, Hawthorn Road intersects several well-travelled roads: including Glen Eira, Balaclava, and North.

It’s a vital transport thoroughfare. Yet for a while, something’s been missing.

Large stretches of the road lacked life. Shops struggled; old buildings sat, empty and disused, for decades.

But now, Hawthorn Road is finally getting its facelift.

Below, New Projects Director Julian Millman walks us through the road’s recent residential and commercial developments. And how they’re rejuvenating it with a fresh sense of vision, vibrance and vitality.

A tale of two pockets

Hawthorn Road’s revitalisation centres around a couple of key ‘pockets’.

The first is the southwest corner of Caulfield Park – where Hawthorn meets Balaclava. The second where Hawthorn Road meets Glen Huntly Road, mere minutes on foot to Caulfield’s Princes Park.

“The Hawthorn/Balaclava pocket lacked quality dining, cafés and amenities,” Julian explains. “Being so close to North Caulfield Park, the area was crying out for some redevelopment.”

And redeveloped it was. Two blocks of apartments here, targeted at the owner-occupier market, are now complete.

One other,?Indio, is under construction. Designed by award-winning architect David Orlanski, it contains six bespoke residences – all fitted with the luxuries modern living demands.

This pocket’s developments aren’t only for living spaces, either – but for commercial ones.

One of the new developments, at 73 Hawthorn Road, became an IGA supermarket. Allowing business to blossom, while giving residents access to fresh produce on their doorsteps.

“Supermarkets are a massive draw for apartment tenants and buyers,” Julian continues. “And for the local area. They’re excellent amenities to be close to.

“No one wants an apartment in the middle of nowhere. They want to be close to amenities: transport, shops, cafés, gyms. For apartment buyers – especially downsizers and first-home buyers – amenities are a huge plus.”

With more ground-floor commercial space still available for restaurants and specialty shops, the best may be yet to come.

“These developments have brought a new lease of life to this pocket,” Julian explains. “And they’re improving as we speak. In five years, that area will be totally changed – for the better.”

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Apartments, amenities – and a dash of magic

From that first pocket, walk south for approximately 1km, and you’ll find yourself at the second site of Hawthorn Road’s makeover – where it meets Glen Huntly Road.

Here lies a stretch of about 400m – from this corner to the Camden Town Hotel – where two exciting developments are taking shape.

Again, the revitalised buildings will contain a mix of both apartments and space for businesses – be they crucial amenities, independent restaurants, or bespoke retail stores. The apartments will also contain multilevel basement car parking, to ease the burden on local streets.

Efficient development isn’t magic, of course. There are no wands or wizards involved. But there’s certainly something magical about the area’s absorbing, awe-inspiring transformation.

Abracadabra!?An old bowls club becomes an ALDI.?Alakazam!?A disused, desolate petrol station – empty for 40 years – turns into a Woolworths, ready to service the local area.

And sure. When the old Godfrey’s store at the corner of Hawthorn Road and Olive Street becomes a beautiful block of 45 apartments, there’ll be no special tricks or sleight of hand involved.

But it’s in the same ballpark.

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Bringing colour and convenience to Caulfield

For Julian – a Caulfield local – his interest in Hawthorn Road’s ongoing rejuvenation isn’t just professional. It’s?personal.

“It’ll be amazing; a magnificent location. If you live right there in one of the side streets, which I do, these redevelopments are even more exciting. I like living in the buzz; being at the heart of it.”

So, what can Caulfield expect from this ongoing revitalisation?

Colour? Check.?Convenience??Check!

“The ability to walk to the supermarket to grab something, for instance. Or pick up a coffee from a nearby café. There’s so much to look forward to and enjoy – whether you’re a buyer or a local.”

Plans, people and prospects: Hawthorn Road’s bright future

What’s next for Hawthorn Road, then?

More developments, for one. Plans for up to three extra blocks of off-the-plan apartments, at the nexus of Hawthorn and Balaclava, are underway.

Second? More people, attracted by the calibre of the road’s refreshed culture.

Third? More opportunities for young people – attracted by the alluring appeal of affordable apartment living – to get on the ladder in Caulfield. And more room for local businesses and next-door amenities to complement the strip’s thriving green spaces.

“The ongoing revitalisation of these pockets along Hawthorn Road,” Julian says, “will reduce congestion. It’ll attract people to the area. And it’ll give these strips – once dreary, drab patches of land, or forgotten buildings – a new lease of life.?A buzz!”

Julian, for one, can’t wait.

Neither can we!

Want to learn more about the developments transforming Hawthorn Road? Explore?our new projects, designed for buyers with very high standards of living, today.