New life for Quadrant Mall as Wursthaus becomes great apartment

The Wursthaus at Oliver's delicatessen has remained empty since shutting more than five years ago, but there's been plenty going on behind the scenes.

The top floor of the building - formerly used for storage - has been rebuilt and converted into an apartment.

A ground floor overhaul finished on Tuesday, paving the way for EP Gallery's Eleonora Pulcini to extend her footprint in the Quadrant.

"It's turned into a pretty magnificent offering," said leasing agent Blake Shepherd, of Shepherd and Heap.

"[The building owner] has done an amazing job there as people have seen, both to the shop and the developing an apartment upstairs."

A new tenant for a restaurant building directly opposite shouldn't be far away.

The former site of Dicky's Cafe, Holy Guacamole and Moon Cafe and Restaurant has been empty since the latter vacated about two years ago.

The site has been subject to several offers from those wishing to trade late into the night, however, its owners are keen to find a tenant to suit the "residential nature" of the building's upper levels.

Mr Shepherd said two potential tenants were looking into the site at present.

"It will lease up," he said.

"It's a good offering for the right sort of operator given that all the plant equipment is included - you could literally walk in there and bring your coffee beans and start working.

"But a cafe or cafe restaurant would work well and the Quadrant is ripe there for on-street dining.

"Previous occupants of that tenancy used to have 40-odd seats out on the avenue which is a nice asset."

The Quadrant Mall has experienced considerable turnover in recent years, but still holds plenty of charm for business owners.

Pachinko, the Dinner Belle and the historic Walker's Flowers are among those to have moved on, while businesses such as Gourlay's and Jim Hughes and Sons have stood the test of time.

Mr Shepherd said the Quadrant had some "really good brands" already, but would hugely benefit from some more big names to draw foot traffic.

"It's definitely filling up - it's a unique environment that should be better than it has been in the past," Mr Shepherd said.

"It just needs more key brands, key candidates in the mall to draw more footfall is probably the secret ingredient.

"It would be a great hospitality locale given the mall environment - there's all that potential for seating along there ... but it needs those early takers to get in there and do good things."