Following an off-market campaign, the  four hectares of  industrial properties, nestled around the Highpoint Shopping Centre, a major transport hub, and the former Victoria University student village and Maribyrnong Detention Centre, on Hampstead Road, exchanged at a land rate of $1037 per square metre.

This is a record price for the suburb, and quite an achievement – that accolade is typically given to small, prime-located commercial blocks, sometimes spreading only a couple of hundred square metres.

The pocket around Hampstead Road and including Emu Road, Mitchell Street, and Victoria University's site, which also fronts Williamson Road, is expected to be rezoned by Planning Minister Richard Wynne this year, to allow for several billions of dollars of redevelopment, and also for the Highpoint Shopping Centre activity zone to stretch south.

Knight Frank's Stephen Kelly and Danny Clark negotiated the sale for private investors, now multi-millionaires, who wished for themselves and the property's address to remain anonymous. The purchaser was assisted by the acquisitions department at Pomeroy Pacific.

All agents said there was a heightened level of developer demand for large infill sites in Melbourne's suburbs. "We believe this has been fuelled by a perceived oversupply of inner-city apartments and CBD planning changes," Mr Kelly said.

Pomeroy Pacific CEO Mark Pomeroy added that his developer clients are looking to Melbourne's suburbs as part of a strategy to seek "geographic and sector diversity".

Secon to pocket $50m from Altona North factory

It isn't just industrial property owners in Fishermans Bend who are benefiting from urban-renewal related rezoning.

In Altona North, 10 kilometres from the CBD, interests associated with Secon Logistics can expect about $50 million for selling a 6.3 hectare factory that the company occupies, but which the City of Hobsons Bay council wants replaced with housing.

Secon's site forms almost 10 per cent of industrial land earmarked for rezoning as part Precinct 15 – an initiative described by consultancy, Tract, as one of Melbourne's most significant urban opportunities.

Knight Frank's Danny Clark and Stephen Kelly are marketing Secon's south-western site at 278-288 Blackshaws Road.

Exclusive Brethren list again

The Exclusive Brethren religious group is selling another vacant suburban site.

At the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, the 6949 square metre Ferntree Gully block is being marketed by McGraths Waverley to a variety of residential developers, including aged care accommodation providers.

The church is being less strategic disposing of this site than it was with two other properties over recent years. In Hadfield, in 2012, the group rezoned its former headquarters for residential use, before selling it to a developer in a deal finalised early last year.

In 2013, in nearby Lytton Street, Glenroy, the church sold a Glenvale school campus after obtaining a permit to replace the 880 square metre block with townhouses.

However, nearly five years ago, the group sold a church and car park at 163-165 Glenroy Road, Glenroy, without adding any value, by way of a rezoning or alternative use scheme.

All rising in Southbank

The Australian Red Cross donor centre in Southbank – which the bank vacated on Friday– is now the subject of a landmark 73-level application which would contain 512 flats and 112 hotel suites.

The proposed building earmarked for 51-65 Clarke Street would add just 120 car parks. It will also include a business hub, function centre and lower level retail space.

Mainland Chinese developer Brilliland Group, also known as the Newcity Development Group, were reported as the $30.4 million buyer of the three level office on 1790 square metres in September, 2014. The ARC will relocate functions undertaken at Southbank to a new city centre opening on May 23.

The NewCity site is not far from a proposed 41 -level apartment tower permitted for 65-71 Haig Street, Southbank, a site which also abuts the West Gate Freeway.

That 1001 square metre site, with plans for the 254-unit Fender Katsalidis complex, hit the market this week via Savills Clinton Baxter and is expected to sell for about $18 million.

Another retail sale

Another major retail asset is close to sale, this time in Craigieburn.

The opportunity to build the Aston Square neighbourhood shopping centre, is speculated to be exchanging for about $10 million.

The proposed 6700 square metre complex will occupy a 3.14 hectare site, with almost 500 metres of frontage, across three streets of the suburb's Aston estate. Known as 574 Vantage Boulevard, Craigieburn, the site was being marketed by CBRE's Mark Wizel, Julian Dowers and Kevin Tong.

Last week, a major Coles-leased asset in Warrnambool, developed by Lascorp, but offloaded by a private investor, reaped nearly $30 million.

Prominent architect lists Tulla office

Revered architect Ermin Smrekar is selling a prominent Tullamarine office investment with hotel redevelopment potential.

The double-storey office at 1-3 Freight Road, on the south-west corner of Mickleham Road, has the potential to be built upwards, further capitalising on upper-level CBD views.

Smrekar, who is renowned for his bold designs, was responsible for many Melbourne hotels including North Melbourne's former Old Melbourne.

He also designed offices (including 568 Collins Street which was recently razed for an apartment skyscraper) and mansions for amongst others, Sir Donald Trescowthick and the Mirabella family. A dramatic triangle-shaped holiday home he designed on the cliff-top in Punchbowl Road, San Remo, was offered for sale in 2013.

Bayley Stuart director Alasdair MacGillivray is marketing the Tullamarine property.

Pace connected to Doncaster East sale

Pace Development Group, responsible for St Kilda's "coloured stack" Icon building, is believed to be buying another site, this time in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

The 3661 square metre parcel near the corner of Doncaster Road and Mitchell Street was offered with a permit for a five-level, 69-unit apartment complex.

Currently housing a  collection of low-rise commercial buildings and an open air car park, the development opportunity was marketed by CBRE's Julian White, Ed Wright and Scott Orchard. It is understood to have sold for more than $13 million but this could not be confirmed.

The group's portfolio of upcoming projects includes 247-259 Johnston Street, Abbotsford and 73-77 Wellington Street, Collingwood.