First look: Wollongong CBD office building the new home for Ain't Nonnas

Sydney property firm John Fletcher Properties purchased the site at 83-85 Market Street in early 2020 and have spent the last two years transforming the six-storey office building.

Immediately noticeable to passers-by is the first standalone home for Ain't Nonnas, which had previously been roving between pop-ups and kitchen takeovers at other establishments.

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Director of property for John Fletcher Properties James Garner said the vision was to inject a bit of Surry Hills into Wollongong.

"I tried to bring a creative feel to an A-grade building, something different with exposed beams, neon sign for a bit of inspiration," he said.

Above the sunken ground floor, the office floors have been stripped back to allow for greater headroom and more light. Tenants will be able to select from polished concrete flooring or carpet.

What used to be the plant room on the sixth floor has now been opened up into a penthouse office space with adjoining balconies.

Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said the renovation and investment in the CBD was the latest example of the city's transformation.

"It highlights the fact that Wollongong is now recognised as a regional capital and a focus of a lot of business and employment opportunities," he said.

Construction management firm Building Guild, which oversaw the renovation, said the project had to contend with an number of challenges, including strained supply chains, 100 days of rain, COVID restrictions, as well as labour shortages and a landslide blocking key routes to Sydney.

"We had to rethink the sequence in which we did works due to the non-stop rain, flooding, and the disruption to the supply of materials," Building Guild managing director Alex Johnson said.

In addition to the renovated offices, 83-85 Market Street now also boasts newly fitted out end of trip facilities.

The building is now open, with Ain't Nonnas to open for a soft launch this Thursday.

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