The man behind the paving of prominent city sites such as the recent Darling Harbour redevelopment, Sydney Olympic Park, the Opera House and Pitt Street Mall has stepped into the development sphere with an eight-unit 9,255 square metre industrial unit estate at 61-65 Roberts Road.

So successful has the venture been, that the last of the eight units was recently leased to Powerark Solar ahead of the estate’s completion.

At a glance:

• New industrial unit at Roberts Road, Greenacre, leases for $135 per square metre
• The eye-catching estate is the newest endeavor of Sydney businessman Sam Harb, better known as Sam the Paving Man
• Success of the estate ascribed to design that caters to the needs of e-commerce  

 The three-year, 1,252 square metre Powerark lease was negotiated by CBRE’s Raj Chaudhary and Cathy Henderson at a rental rate of circa $135 per square metre net plus outgoings and GST.

Mr Chaudhary attributed the estate’s success to its unique features and urban take on industrial design, including graffiti murals and protruding mezzanine feature windows shaped like shipping containers.

“Sam has also been one of the first developers in the area to adapt to changing market requirements in regard to the ratio of office to warehouse space that many occupiers now require,” Chaudhary said.

“Typically, units in the area have comprised up to 25 per cent office space, whereas these units have an office component of under 10 per cent and in some cases as low as 5 per cent.

“This has been a huge selling point and reflects the lower requirement industrial occupiers have for office space in a market that’s being shaped by e-commerce and flexible work practices.”

Mr Chaudhary said the estate’s eye-catching design and floor-space configuration had been key attractions for Powerark Solar, one of Australia's leading solar wholesale distributors.

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