The Lance Holt Building at 10-12 Henry Street, Fremantle is being offered for sale via Expressions of Interest following the relocation of Lance Holt School. After nearly 50 years of occupation, the school has outgrown its beloved home, prompting the move to a new chapter".
Positioned on a 551 sqm* freehold site, the property comprises approximately 825sqm* Gross building area across three levels, including a basement, and benefits from flexible City Centre zoning under the City of Fremantle's Local Planning Scheme No. 4. The property is listed on both the State Register of Heritage Places and the local heritage register, reflecting its significance within one of Australia's most intact 19th-century port precincts.
Originally constructed in 1892 as the Federal Coffee Palace during Fremantle's gold rush boom, the Federation Free Classical building remains a defining feature of Henry Street's heritage streetscape. Architectural elements including its rendered façade, decorative parapet, timber sash windows and classical detailing have been carefully preserved, while successive additions have expanded the building's footprint to support contemporary uses.
For sale through Ben Younger, Nick Charlton and Zaahen Kahn of Cushman & Wakefield, the property is located within walking distance of Fremantle Train Station, Victoria Quay, the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Markets and the city's renowned hospitality and tourism precincts, placing it at the centre of one of Western Australia's most vibrant mixed-use destinations.
Cushman & Wakefield’s Director and Joint Head of Capital Markets WA, Ben Younger, said demand for character-rich heritage assets had strengthened as investors increasingly sought opportunities that combined long-term capital preservation with multiple future-use outcomes.
"Investors are becoming increasingly selective and are gravitating towards assets that offer genuine scarcity and the ability to create value through repositioning and adaptive reuse.
"Opportunities of this calibre are exceptionally rare in Fremantle's West End. We're expecting interest from a broad range of buyers including private investors, family offices, hospitality operators, education providers, developers and owner-occupiers seeking a landmark property with long-term upside" he said.
The property's City Centre zoning provides significant flexibility, supporting a wide range of potential uses including commercial office, hospitality, tourism, education, residential, cultural and community-based outcomes. Combined with the building's substantial floor area and heritage character, the asset presents numerous adaptive reuse possibilities at a time when demand for experiential and destination-oriented real estate continues to grow.
Cushman & Wakefield Director and Joint Head of Capital Markets WA, Nick Charlton, said the property's combination of scale, heritage significance and location made it one of the most compelling offerings to emerge in Fremantle in recent years.
"The Lance Holt Building is a genuine landmark asset that occupies a unique position within Fremantle's most prestigious heritage precinct.
"It offers buyers the chance to acquire a substantial freehold building with significant architectural character, a rich history and the flexibility to deliver a range of future outcomes. Opportunities to secure a property of this scale and prominence in the West End are incredibly limited" Mr Charlton continued.
Mr Younger said the campaign comes amid growing confidence in Perth's commercial property market, with investors increasingly attracted to tightly held assets that offer differentiation and long-term repositioning potential.
“Heritage buildings in particular continue to attract strong buyer interest due to their scarcity, unique character and ability to support boutique commercial, hospitality and mixed-use concepts that cannot be replicated in modern developments.
“With Fremantle continuing to benefit from ongoing investment, population growth and long-term plans for the transformation of the Inner Harbour precinct, the offering is expected to generate significant interest from both local and interstate buyers seeking exposure to one of Western Australia's most distinctive and evolving urban markets” he said.
10-12 Henry Street, Fremantle is for sale via Expressions of Interest closing Friday 10 July at 2pm WST.
