Hip new project attracts a crowd

For now the soundtrack to life at Perth's State Buildings is a composition comprising the snarl of a saw, the hum of a cherry picker and the distant drone of cars.

Deep in the belly of the CBD site, a more melodic symphony is being ushered in: the clink of glasses, the spit of a coffee machine and - if all goes to plan - the bustle of foot traffic.

At least half of the dozen or so retailers that will operate at the former Treasury Buildings site beneath a 48-room luxury hotel have been locked in as the multimillion-dollar redevelopment gains momentum.

Tenants will include a florist, chocolatier, patisserie, organic cosmetics outlet, specialty barber, yoga, meditation and pilates centre, and a cafe.

The first could move in by May.

Elegant brick archways, exposed wooden joists and generous amounts of natural light hint at the potential there as well as the scale of the project. Many of the rooms have not been seen by the public for decades.

The restoration project forms part of the Treasury-Cathedral precinct, which is in the midst of a $500 million facelift that includes the City of Perth's new public library and Mirvac's office tower.

FJM Property senior development manager Kyle Jeavons said the decision to take only independent retailers, not chain stores, was a conscious one.

Part of the trade-off for that meant "rents that are affordable".

Half the equation is about servicing the customers at the hotel. The other half is about bringing customers in off the street.

For some, the first point of call will be Blacksmith Coffee Brewers, positioned by the main entrance and intended to be run out of a custom-made pod that packs away to a cube when not in use.

Luke Arnold, the man behind Blacksmith and previously Mini Espresso in London Court, said he did not want it to look "like a hotel lobby cafe".

Chocolatier Sue Lewis was convinced to move out of her Subiaco digs and into the historic site in part because "it's such a beautiful building".

Then there is the latest venture by the team behind Uncle Joe's Barber shop and Mess Hall.

Head Studio founders Mark and Marie Cain and Zekka co-founder Scott King aim to build on their King Street formula, which will include a barber, bar and cafe and dry-cleaning service.