What Andy Lee’s neighbours think about his $5m heritage property redevelopment
Andy Lee and partner Rebecca Harding have been given the go-ahead for the $5 million redevelopment of their 1876 Italianate mansion – and their new neighbors couldn’t be happier.
The popular radio host, 42, and model, 32, splashed $8.5 million on the dilapidated Hawthorn property in 2021 and have grand plans to build a second home on the land.
Lee and Harding plan to connect the Grade II listed house to a modern building via a tunnel, and local residents told Daily Mail Australia they can’t wait to see the results.
Local residents living on the street are tired of looking at the current state of the house, which they have described as a “mess” and “disgusting.”
‘I think it’s fantastic that they don’t demolish the heritage house. As a private home, I think it’s fantastic compared to what they could do,” said a neighbor.
Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding have been given the go-ahead for the $5 million redevelopment of their 1876 Italianate mansion — and their new neighbors couldn’t be happier
“Definitely an eyesore, but worse than that, just an absolute tragedy to treat a historic house like this and leave it to demolition through neglect.”
The neighbor went on to berate the previous owners, who left the property in appalling condition for over a decade after their own renovations stopped for unknown reasons.
“I hope the council has taken the respect for this very old building seriously,” she added.
Another couple agreed, saying, “It looks so disgusting right now, I’d love to see it [renovated]. Everything would be better.’
The popular radio host, 42, and model, 32, splashed $8.5 million on the dilapidated Hawthorn property in 2021 and have grand plans to build a second home on the land
Lee and Harding plan to connect the Grade II listed house to a modern building via a tunnel, and local residents told Daily Mail Australia they can’t wait to see the results
Neighbors living on the street are tired of looking at the current state of the house, which they have described as a “dumping ground” and “disgusting”
‘I think it’s fantastic that they are demolishing the heritage house. As a private home I think it’s fantastic compared to what they could do,” one said, adding that it was a “tragedy” that the heritage home had been treated the way it was
Others said they’ve been forced to see the “wreck” for nearly two decades and can’t wait for Andy and Rebecca to fix it up.
“I’ve been here 23 years and have been a falling wreck of a dump. So as soon as someone fixes it up, the better… I would oppose anyone who is really against it,” said one man.
‘If they restore what is there, then building backwards is fine. It’s an eyesore.’
Another couple agreed, saying, “It looks so disgusting right now, I’d love to see it [renovated]. Everything would be better’
Others said they’ve been forced to see the “wreck” for nearly two decades and can’t wait for Andy and Rebecca to fix it up.
“I’ve been here 23 years, and that place has been a collapsing wreckage of a landfill. So as soon as someone fixes it up, the better… I would oppose anyone who is really against it,” said one man.
He added: ‘The problem is they took down the old Victorian chimneys, the previous owner, and left it that way.
“There used to be a beautiful veranda around it, and then they took it off and the renovations stopped, whatever the previous owners were doing, and it was like that for 10 years.”
The City Council gave Andy and Rebecca the go-ahead to begin their luxury renovation of the derelict Melbourne mansion at the end of June.
They reportedly plan to spend $5 million on the redevelopment.
The development plan includes a home cinema, gym, swimming pool and a ‘mega bedroom’.
He added: ‘The problem is they took down the old Victorian chimneys, the previous owner, and left it that way’
The neighbor continued: ‘There used to be a beautiful porch around it, and then they took that off and the renovations stopped, whatever the previous owners were doing and it was like that for 10 years’
The City Council gave Andy and Rebecca the go-ahead to begin their luxury renovation of the derelict Melbourne mansion at the end of June.
Some of the planned features outlined in the development plan include a home cinema, gym, swimming pool and a ‘mega bedroom’