Massive $25m makeover to transform dingy East Victoria Park into lively hospitality destination

A disused and “dingy” pocket in inner suburban Perth is set for a $25 million makeover with another mega-hospitality precinct moving in.

Showing there’s still more appetite for bars and licensed venues, the brains behind The Leederville Hotel’s redevelopment are now headed to East Victoria Park, where the local council has ticked off on what’s being called a family-friendly “lifestyle precinct”.

The new Baillie Hill project aims to revitalise an underused and underwhelming Elizabeth Baillie House on Hill View Terrace, along the Albany Highway.

The hospitality lineup features a cafe, a gelato shop, childcare centre, and two main venues: Milly’s — a family-friendly spot with breakfast, lunch and kids’ play areas — and The Berwick Bar & Kitchen, described as “a classic local drinking hall” with a front bar, sports, pool tables and a bistro.

Hospitality operating partner of the project Carl Leembruggen said Elizabeth Baillie Park was “very dull and dingy” with “nothing going on”, so once he saw some action beginning at the site, he had to jump on board.

This “lifestyle precinct” located at WA’s first specialist maternity hospital, allows people not only to able to enjoy a variety of hospitality venues, like traditional hubs, but rejuvenate, re-energise, and reconnect with friends while your “little ones can scurry around”, he said.

The Town of Victoria Park is also redeveloping parts of the park.

“The town council is also renovating and redeveloping the actual park into an amphitheatre for events, a brand new playground and public toilets, and brand new landscaping with new tree plantings to go in,” Mr Leembruggen said.

“Eventually there’s also going to be a pedestrianised thoroughfare that connects the park to Oak Street train station.”

Mr Leembruggen said this will also provide more of a “connective tissue” between Victoria Park and Optus Stadium on game days.

Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods said Perth was experiencing a clear increase in purpose-built hospitality hubs, each “designed to elevate food, drink and entertainment” and to have a steady appeal for locals and visitors.

“Yagan Square’s revitalisation and the planned Baillie Hill in East Victoria Park are part of a broader trend that includes existing precincts such as Elizabeth Quay, The Beaufort and Fremantle’s FOMO,” he said.

Where once small bars flooded the market — thanks in large part to relaxed rules more than a decade ago — larger precincts have now well and truly taken off.

Mr Woods said independent venues could develop a “highly individual identity” and adapt quickly to trends and foster deep customer loyalty, while “hospitality precincts” had a way of turning into destinations on their own, a place where both locals and tourists feel like they “have to” visit.

“The trade-off is that competition can be fierce, operating costs may be higher, and the fortunes of each venue can be tied to the precinct’s overall success,” he said.

“The mix of venues creates a buzz and energy that’s hard for a single operator to match, driving strong foot traffic and making shared events or promotions more effective.”

Mr Leembruggen is also general manager of the Leederville Precinct, which enjoyed its own “precinct” glow-up in 2021. He said that for the operators, the secret wasn’t competition but collaboration.

“High tides raise all boats,” he said.

“A hospitality precinct doesn’t really talk about the four walls that encapsulate my operational sites; it captures the entire Leederville Village Square — looking at Leederville more as a food, beverage, and entertainment hub.”

“We need other people and other tenants to do well within the village square, that way more people come to visit hospitality precincts.

“If you’re all fighting against each other, then it’s not going to really do much good.”

Mr Leembruggen said the Leederville precinct, made up of four venues, offers a range of options for people searching for different experiences.

“Servo is open on the weekends for breakfast, and it’s more around that all-day hedonism, the Garden is just a nice, beautiful outdoor landscape oasis, the Leederville Hotel is your classic Australiana sports pub, at the Red Room nightclub keeps the energy going into the night,” he said.

Success is measured in precinct-wide appeal, he said. “I think it’s a great meeting place.”

“Even if you weren’t planning on having dinner at any of our establishments and you were going to go to say Pichos or Sienna’s, it’s quite common for people to go — ‘Oh, how about we meet at The Garden first for a drink?’ and then we’ll mosey down the street?”

“The sooner precincts or the people within them learn how to work together to tell a story… the better they’re all going to do,” he said.

“For me, it’s a win every time someone gets dropped off into Leederville instead of Mount Lawley or Subiaco.”

He hopes this success can be replicated in East Victoria Park.

“We hope that our precinct can also do the rest of the park justice in bringing people and residents together,” he said.

“We don’t just want it to be a destination venue, but a place to come out and experience the site, regardless of whether or not you live within the area.”

This philosophy drives everything from pricing to community engagement.

“Vibrancy in the precinct, especially morning footfall, is extremely important to my business,” Mr Leembruggen said.

Events include Christmas kids’ tree parties, Second Life markets, silent discos — including kids’ raves — and plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street on weekends in summer.

Mr Woods said big and small operators had a place in the hospitality scene.

“Both will grow, large precincts appeal to investors and can transform whole neighbourhoods, while small bars cater to patrons seeking intimacy, creativity and unique experiences.

“Perth’s hospitality market is diverse enough to support both models, and many customers happily enjoy both.”