Florin Hotel
Project Background
RP Infrastructure (RPI) have been appointed as the project manager for Icon Oceania’s second hotel development in Sydney’s CBD, following the successful completion of Vibe Hotel Darling Harbour in 2019.
This ambitious project will be targeted to capture the lucrative leisure and business travel markets, but with a specific focus on clientele that have a creative arts or design background, as this is seen as an untapped market segment.
Project Overview
The project involves repurposing the former Universal Film Manufacturing Company Warehouse at 499-501 Kent Street to a 22-storey 228-room hotel development with food and drink premises. The revitalisation of the site into a premium hotel is consistent with the City of Sydney’s vision to strengthen Central Sydney as an international tourism destination.
Our Role
RPI was initially engaged by Icon Oceania to undertake a due diligence exercise in order to test the feasibility, and to better understand the development risk associated with the site, the future development approval process and the cost envelope. Our team were subsequently commissioned to manage the design development, consent submissions and associated modifications, value management, tender documentation, contractor procurement and negotiations, construction delivery / superintendency services, and post completion services.
Key Challenge
The heritage-listed building requires careful retention of the existing façade and parts of the internal structure, necessitating complex facade retention steel and structural strengthening works due to the age of the building and poor conditions. Compounding this is the site’s constrained CBD location, with limited access and proximity to neighbouring properties. This creates significant logistical and staging challenges during demolition and construction which RPI is managing.
