A grand donation

By Spencer Fowler Steen

Developer Cbus Property has donated hundreds of furniture items from a recently closed four-star hotel on Spring St to homes set up by The Salvation Army across Melbourne.

Beds, couches, ironing boards, lamps and other pieces of furniture were lugged out of the 164-room Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens hotel in late August to make way for Cbus’ $300 million luxury residential tower, 17 Spring Street.

Salvation Army Major Brendan Nottle said he was “proud” to work with Cbus Property to move the furniture to the Salvation Army’s Magpie Nest homes.

“The quality of the furniture sends a powerful message to the Magpie Nest residents that they are valued and being treated with dignity and respect,” he said.

The 45 three- and four-bedroom houses are located in inner Melbourne, Fitzroy, Footscray, Preston, Reservoir, Collingwood and Sunshine.

They accommodate 94 adults and 24 children who were previously homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Cbus Property CEO Adrian Pozzo said the most “responsible, community-minded” option was to repurpose the luxurious furniture – in line with the company’s recent involvement in philanthropic programs such as Sleep at the G.

“The Salvation Army is doing amazing things to help Melbourne’s people in need, by offering services for accommodation and homelessness, addiction recovery, aged care, disaster recovery and emergency relief, chaplaincy, and employment”, Mr Pozzo said.

Cbus and Coles volunteers worked together in three-hour shifts across two days to remove and relocate the furniture, with up to 50 volunteers on site at any one time.

The move was one of the biggest corporate contributions in Victoria this year, Cbus said.