Rumour: Art Deco building for The Block

Nine’s next site for The Block could be an old Symex soap factory in Port Melbourne, if media reports prove true.

Fairfax suggests the 2,355-square-metre 1920s site at at 164 Ingles Street, comes with a heritage overlay.

Estate agent Walter Occhiuto from Dawkins Occhiuto would not comment on the sale but the agency listed the building as being under “contract” on its website.

The sale price, believed to be around $5 million, was higher than the suggested $4.5 million quoted during the marketing campaign which focused on the building’s development potential for office or hotel accommodation.

Producers have previously told TV Tonight they prefer distinctive buildings that “have become their own character within themselves.”

Meanwhile well-known Block buyers advocate Frank Valentic is facing a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing arising from an unrelated real estate deal in Malvern. Consumer Affairs Victoria has alleged failure to act fairly and honesty, and conduct that was unprofessional and detrimental to the reputation of the real estate industry.

The Block is airing later this year on Nine with Reno Rumble expected in coming weeks.