Eporo Tower

A two storey Victorian brick warehouse. Built around 1884. Up until the early 1900's it was leased to George Wallis & Co lime merchants. In 1908 Henry Richardson a sawmaker purchased the property. Up until the mid 1970's it was utilised as a store and warehouse. In 1981 it was completely refurbished and converted to a sauna and bathhouse known as the Steamworks. It became the largest and longest running gay bathhouse in Melbourne. In 2008 it closed and in an ironical twist it was purchased by the Coptic Orthodox Church in 2010 who converted the building into offices. There is a current proposal to convert the site, along with 285 and 291 La Trobe Street, into a 42 storey residential building which would include a Church and retail. In 2014 the three properties were transferred to a company whose sole shareholder is the Church for $16.5m.