Slumlord's lodge makes way for lab
Arden Lodge, a residential facility that once housed "extremely predatory" parolees, was run by Helmut Kirsch, himself a violent ex-con with a reputation for being one of the city's worst slumlords.
The now vacant site at the corner of Arden and Langford streets was bought by the Overseas Merchandise Inspection Company for $3.7 million in March, according to title records.
OMIC Australia - a food chemistry and microbiology testing laboratory - recently lodged a planning application to build a $5 million facility at 302 Arden Street. The plan calls for a single-storey structure of 1154 sq m with laboratory and food testing areas, offices, dedicated electrical substation and 24 car spaces.
OMIC Australia, which is one of 29 subsidiaries and offices of a Japanese company founded in 1954, is currently located in Steel Street, North Melbourne.
Despite winning permission to build a $4.5 million centre to house ex-prisoners in VCAT in 2011, Mr Kirsch and the owners of the land, KK Corporation, chose not to proceed.
cvedelago@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Plans are underway to transform the former Arden Lodge site into an $8.7 million state‑of‑the‑art food testing and research centre. The project combines the site's recent $3.7 million purchase with a proposed $5 million build for a dedicated laboratory and research facility.
The Overseas Merchandise Inspection Company purchased the vacant site at the corner of Arden and Langford streets for $3.7 million in March, according to title records cited in the article.
OMIC Australia is a food chemistry and microbiology testing laboratory — one of 29 subsidiaries and offices of a Japanese company founded in 1954. OMIC has lodged a planning application to build and operate the new food testing and research facility at 302 Arden Street.
The planning application calls for a single‑storey building of about 1,154 sq m that would contain laboratory and food testing areas, office space, a dedicated electrical substation and provision for 24 car spaces.
The article outlines a $3.7 million land purchase plus a $5 million proposed construction budget — together amounting to the $8.7 million total cited for the redevelopment.
The planned facility is proposed for 302 Arden Street in North Melbourne, on the corner of Arden and Langford streets.
The site was formerly Arden Lodge, a residential halfway house run by Helmut Kirsch that reportedly housed parolees and drew notoriety as a slumlord‑run facility. The property is now vacant, and the redevelopment represents a significant change of use from its past.
Yes. In 2011 Mr Kirsch and the landowners KK Corporation won permission at VCAT to build a $4.5 million centre to house ex‑prisoners, but they chose not to proceed with that project.
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