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Regent St new home for The Block?

The Block is rumoured to be building from the ground up this year, on a huge vacant site in Elsternwick.

If rumours prove to be true, The Block won’t be renovating a run-down property this year but building from the ground up.

A large parcel of property at 46 Regent Street Elsternwick is rumoured to be the next location for the Nine series after a price could not be agreed upon St Kilda’s infamous Gatwick Hotel.

Work has already begun on a site worth $10m in the south-eastern suburb, just a stone’s throw from ABC’s Gordon St Studios and the historic Ripponlea Estate.

The site is large enough for multiple townhouses in the quiet suburban street, which the Herald Sun reports was purchased for $9.6 million in mid December by a company linked to Nine, with CEO Hugh Marks listed as one of the directors.

Producers will presumably build foundations ahead of contestants arriving next month, but building from the ground up will undoubtedly allow Scott Cam to again boast the project as their “biggest-ever” Block.

At 9km south east of Melbourne Elsternwick is the farthest the series has based itself from the CBD, but remains close to the bay, public transport, schools and retail. Nearby ABC is vacating both its Selwyn Street offices and historic Gordon Street studios (see distant tower, pictured) this year.

Meanwhile The Gatwick hasn’t been ruled out as a future location should it be available. The property is closing down and residents are to be located, which will be one less headache for Nine if it were to proceed.

Nine is yet to confirm its site for The Block 2017.

4 Responses

  1. I can confirm this story is true. I live in Regent Street and all residents received letters from Channel 9 yesterday, stating that filming will begin on April 27th (with contestants starting their renovations on April 28th). There is currently much activity around the site.

      1. The letter promises any disruption will be kept “to an absolute minimum”, but that remains to be seen. Lots of trucks going down the street, but they tend to enter from the opposite end to where I live so I have been spared so far.

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