top of page

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

Showcasing Jesse Hayes’ involvement in development planning, site strategy, consultant coordination and the commercial thinking required to bring Eclat spaces into reality. The Eclat model was designed to operate at the intersection of coworking, premium workplace design, hospitality and real estate development.

PERIOD OF APPLIED DISCIPLINE
August 2021 - July 2025
 

Real estate is the layer beneath everything else. The wrong building or floor plate undermines every subsequent decision. The wrong lease, or an unfavourable landlord, makes every future step that much harder. The wrong location misaligns the brand before a single person walks through the door. Every investment in fitout, technology, brand and experience that follows depends entirely on the commercial and structural quality of the property decision made first.
 

I came to understand these risks and impacts intimately. Which is why I proceeded to treat property not as a procurement exercise but as a strategic discipline. One requiring commercial rigour, market intelligence, legal literacy and a clear-eyed view of how physical infrastructure and brand positioning interact with people.
 

My work in Commercial Property Development and Planning spanned the full property lifecycle: market research, site identification and evaluation, EOI preparation, financial feasibility and modelling, lease terms and legal coordination, planning coordination, fitout management, building services oversight, and landlord relationship management over time. Across Eclat Hawthorn East and an active pipeline of potential expansion sites, I led the property strategy from first principles.

 

SCOPE OF WORK:
 

Market Research & Strategic Site Identification

  • Researching commercial property markets across target Melbourne locations

  • Evaluating areas against brand positioning, accessibility, demographic alignment and competitive context

  • Evaluation of potential expansion opportunities across Melbourne

  • Understanding how the physical address contributed to or undermined the Eclat brand
     

Site Analysis & Due Diligence

  • Physical site inspection and assessment of properties against spatial, operational and commercial requirements

  • Evaluating structural condition, building services, base build quality, services capacity, natural light, floor plate efficiency and tenancy potential

  • Assessing planning constraints, overlays, building code compliance and development scope

  • Reviewing strata arrangements, outgoings, building management obligations and associated property costs

  • Identifying risks, structural, commercial, legal, operational and human; before commitment
     

EOI Preparation & Submission

  • Preparing formal Expression of Interest submissions and proposals beyond Eclat CV Hawthorn East

  • Aligned with the output of Interior Design Principal and Creative Director to create industry leading EOI submissions; including full conceptual plans of proposed floor plates and potential site use 

  • Articulating the Eclat brand proposition, business model, target membership profile, fitout intent and operational commitments in a format credible to sophisticated landlords

  • Positioning Eclat as a premium, mission-aligned tenant capable of realising the potential of an A-grade space
     

Financial Feasibility & Commercial Modelling

  • Developing financial models to assess viability of specific sites

  • Modelling revenue, occupancy ramp-up, operating costs, fitout capital requirements and return timelines

  • Structuring analyses across lease, fit-out incentives, rent review mechanisms and occupancy assumptions

  • Aligning financial modelling with the commercial requirements of the broader Eclat business plan
     

Planning, Permits & Authority Coordination

  • Coordinating permit applications and navigating relevant local authority and council approval processes

  • Engaging relevant planning consultants, building surveyors and permit authorities

  • Tracking permit conditions, timelines and required submissions

  • Managing authority coordination in parallel with design and construction activities to avoid delays

Fitout Project Management (see also Section 9)

  • Overseeing the fitout as a property development and capital works exercise

  • Managing builder, contractor and consultant relationships throughout the build

  • Coordinating base build, services upgrades and fitout activity in sequence

  • Reviewing progress against programme and budget

  • Managing variations, approvals and handover
     

Building Services & Infrastructure

  • Oversight of base build mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and fire services across the tenancy

  • Coordinating services consultants and building management on services upgrades and modifications

  • Review of building services to brief consultants, evaluate proposals and identify deficiencies

  • Ensuring building services met the performance expectations of a premium workplace environment
     

Ongoing Landlord & Property Management Relations

  • Striving to encourage a professional and commercially productive relationship with the landlord and property managers throughout the lease term to promote mutual benefit and a successful outcome

  • Escalating property-related issues, legal obligations and service failures through appropriate channels

  • Treating the landlord relationship as a long-term commercial partnership



APPLIED SKILLS:
 

Property Strategy & Market Intelligence Commercial property market analysis · Site identification and shortlisting · Location and brand alignment assessment · Competitive market positioning · Pipeline development
 

Due Diligence & Assessment Physical site inspection · Base build and services assessment · Planning and heritage review · Strata and outgoings analysis · Risk identification
 

Financial Modelling & Feasibility Revenue and occupancy modelling · Fitout capital structuring · Sensitivity analysis · Lease cost modelling · Return timeline development
 

Negotiation & Legal Coordination EOI preparation and submission · Heads of agreement negotiation · Lease documentation review · Legal representative coordination · Landlord negotiation strategy
 

Planning & Permits Planning permit coordination · Authority submissions · Building surveyor engagement · Permit condition management
 

Development & Fitout Oversight Capital works oversight · Builder and contractor management · Programme and budget review · Variation management · Practical completion coordination
 

Property Operations & Asset Management Building services oversight · Landlord relationship management · Outgoings and OPEX monitoring · Maintenance obligation management · Lease compliance


SUMMARY:
 

Before anything can be designed, the right site must be secured; with the right stakeholder. Engaging in full property lifecycle development, evaluating potential future locations, preparing expressions of interest, running financial feasibility analysis,  that would protect the business over the long term and propel it forward.

It is painstaking, unglamorous work, and it is foundational. A beautiful workspace in the wrong building, on the wrong terms, with misaligned stakeholders; is a liability. Getting the fundamentals right make everything else possible and success viable; including the complex task of bringing it all to life on schedule and on budget.

bottom of page