City Shapers: Andrew Drivas, Melbourne Central

er relationships,and disciplined execution. What makes the role especially compelling is the opportunity to do that through the lens of Melbourne Central, one of Australia’s most iconic retail destinations and the most productive shopping centre in the country. Melbourne Central has a unique outlook on retail and product. It is not simply about providing space for retailers; it’s about shaping a destination that reflects the energy, aspiration and cultural rhythm of Melbourne’s city experience. What sits behind all of that is a simple idea we talk about a lot at GPT: experience first. For us, that is not a slogan or a branding exercise. It is a practical way of working. It means putting yourself in the shoes of the people you serve, whether that is a tenant, investor, customer or colleague, understanding what matters to them, and then delivering against it consistently. For me, that means drawing on many years of experience across property and relationship management and applying that through an experience-first lens to help accelerate growth in an asset already performing at the highest level. Melbourne Central SCN: How is your team prioritising experience-led growth over traditional retail? Experience-led growth is central to how we think about asset performance today. In a CBD environment, customers want more than convenience or transaction; they want places connected to how they live, alive to the cultural rhythm of the city, and resonant with something larger than shopping itself. That means the quality of the overall experience is just as important as the retail offer. At Melbourne Central, that takes on even sharper focus because of the asset’s position in the market. As the most productive shopping centre in the country, the expectation is that we continue to lead, not follow. At GPT, we think about experience as a competitive framework. It shapes how we collaborate internally, how we solve problems, how quickly we respond, and how consistently we show up for our partners. Those daily interactions create the conditions for stronger external outcomes. That is why experience-first matters commercially. The biggest opportunities are built through the accumulated experience of working with partners over time. At asset level, growth is driven not by isolated moments, but by consistency, trust and quality of execution every day. On reflection, the same is just as true at the enterprise level. Melbourne Central SCN: With the rise of vertical precincts, how are you integrating non-retail uses into your assets? The mixed-use precinct of the future will succeed not simply because it combines different uses, but because it creates a place people to which people feel drawn, a place that offers something increasingly precious in modern life: human closeness. Its power will not come from retail alone, nor technology alone, but from the emotional response created when product, design, atmosphere, movement and human interaction come together in a way that feels alive. For all our digital connection, many people feel more isolated than ever. That is why the future of the physical precinct matters so much. Social media reshaped the world because it facilitated connection at scale, but the mixed-use precinct has the potential to answer a different and more intimate need: the need to be near one another, to share space, to feel part of a living environment, and to experience the reassurance of human presence. At Melbourne Central, that means shaping an experience that is not only commercially strong, but emotionally memorable. A place that reflects the rhythm of the city while reminding people of something deeply timeless – that we still yearn to gather, share and belong. SCN: How is AI influencing your real-time decision-making regarding tenant mix or operational efficiency? AI is becoming an increasingly valuable partner in helping us interpret complexity faster. What matters, though, is how it is used. I see AI as enhancing decision-making rather than replacing it. It can identify trends, streamline workflows and improve responsiveness, but the best property decisions still come from combining those insights with commercial instinct, asset knowledge, and strong relationships on the ground. In an asset like Melbourne Central, where the standard is already high and the pace of change is constant, AI helps us think with greater clarity and act with greater confidence while staying grounded in the lived reality of the asset and the people who experience it every day. Melbourne Central SCN: How is your centre adapting its strategy to capture the growing nighttime economy? The CBD is no longer defined by traditional trading hours. Increasingly, city assets need to serve multiple customer groups across the full day and evening economy, and that requires a different level of agility in both strategy and operations. More than that, it requires a deeper understanding of what people are looking for in physical places: not just convenience, but atmosphere, connection, and a reason to remain part of the city after the workday has ended. At Melbourne Central, this is part of the asset’s natural advantage. It already attracts a broad and diverse customer base and plays a significant role in the daily life of the CBD. The opportunity is to keep evolving the offer so the asset remains just as compelling later in the day as it is during peak daytime trade. It can be a place where people can gather, linger and feel connected to the cultural rhythm of the city. SCN: Looking back at your journey, what is the most significant way the skill set required for a retail leader has changed since you started? The biggest shift has been the move from managing assets as physical places to leading them as living ecosystems. The traditional fundamentals of retail property – leasing, operations, financial discipline and stakeholder management – remain critical, but they are no longer enough on their own. Today, a retail leader also needs to understand customer behaviour, experience design, precinct dynamics, data, adaptability and culture. The role has become more multidimensional and, in many ways, more human. Experience-first is not just about customers or investors, it is equally about internal experiences. How people work together and solve problems internally is what makes the external experience possible. Melbourne Central SCN: What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone entering the retail property industry today? Be curious, build your technical capability, but never underestimate the long-term value of relationships. In this industry, the technical skills will come because the role demands them. What matters just as much is the time and generosity you invest in others along the way. Be generous with your time, your knowledge and your support. Offer help before someone asks for it. Make the introduction. Return the call. Share what you know. Not every investment in people will come back to you, but the vast majority will. Over time, those relationships become one of the most valuable parts of your career. Property is full of smart, capable and genuinely good people, and there is enormous value in knowing you can pick up the phone to trusted people who will back you, challenge you and help you think through a problem. SCN: In three words, how would you describe the Australian shopping centre of the next decade? Integrated. Experiential. Human. This exclusive interview was first published in SCN magazine – CBD Guns edition