Cara Stokes is a senior project director with over twenty five years experience in the planning and delivery of private and public sector projects in Australia and overseas.

Cara has key skills in the areas of strategic project planning, issues resolution, procurement, brief development, design management, tendering, contract management, commercial negotiation, authority approvals and technical compliance matters.

Cara has held senior client side and consultancy roles including project management Chief Operating Officer and Divisional Director with Savills plc’s Australian office and National Store Development Manager for the Sportsgirl group.

Cara provides services ranging from business planning, development advisory to full project delivery. Cara’s approach combines strategic, commercial advice and practical hands-on project delivery services.

Cara established Projects Group in 2014 to bring a more personalised approach to clients’ project requirements.

Government

  • Australia Post – New National Support Office – AFL Management and Fitout Delivery ($460m)

  • Dept of Health & Human Services – Advisor - Property and Asset Services D & C Contractor Panel

  • Dept of Health & Human Services – Advisor - Project Homes Contractor Panel

  • Court Services Victoria – Consultant - Online Magistrates Courts, William Cooper Justice Centre

  • VicRoads – Development Advisor – New Sunshine office ($20m)

  • Dept of Human Services – Advisor - Low-rise residential, Social Housing Program ($1.5b)

  • Dept of Treasury and Finance – Advisor - Christmas Island Immigration Centre ($200m)

  • Dept of Environment and Heritage, Point Nepean Community Trust – Former Quarantine Station Renewal ($33m)

  • Victorian Arts Centre Trust – Advisor - Business Case/ Capital Works Planning processes

  • Brimbank City Council – Project Manager - Interactive Learning Centre ($5m)

  • City of Stonnington – Project Advisor - Prahran Function Centre Redevelopment ($3.7m)

  • City of Boroondara – Project Director – Hawthorn Community Centre

  • City of Casey - Advisor - Briefing stage, Bunjil Place Civic Centre

  • Dept of Sustainability & Environment - Werribee and Hoppers Crossing Structure plan

  • Dept of Sustainability & Environment - Box Hill Central Activities District Development Plan

  • Dept of Sustainability & Environment (DSE)/ Frankston City Council/ Gandel Group – Independent Superintendent - Frankston CAD Infrastructure works ($Conf)

Experience

Commercial

  • Disney – Melbourne office fitout

  • Pinsent Masons – Sydney office fitout

  • Royal Bank of Scotland - Lender’s Representative - Melbourne Convention Centre Hotel ($100m)

  • Australian Institute of Management (VIC) – Advisor – Management House

  • Dept of Defence/ Brookfield Multiplex/ Real IS – Independent Determiner - Defence Plaza Refurb

  • Centrelink – New office, Watergardens ($5m)

  • Wellington Capital – Project Consultant - Forest Lakes Resort

  • Coles Group Property Development - Residential stratum, Boronia

  • Pellicano – Independent Superintendent - M1 Industry Park

    AMP Capital - Lessor’s Works - Monash Gateway Industrial

Education

  • Melbourne Business School – Advisor – Campus Redevelopment design and town planning

  • Dept of Education and Early Childhood Development – New School Building Program ($420m)

  • Melbourne Business School – Mt Eliza Divestment Accommodation planning study

  • Melbourne Business School – Virtual Classroom

  • Early Learning Centres - Hawthorn Early Years, Phoenix College ELC, Miners Rest ELC and Midlands ELC

Residential

  • ARKit - Commercial and project advisory services

  • Mission Australia – Project Director – Mixed-Use Footscray

  • Vasey RSL – Vasey House Bundoora ($22m)

  • Carrington Aged Care – New and refurbished aged care facilities ($15m)

Infrastructure

  • VicRoads – Traffic Management Centre refurbishment

  • BAA - Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 – Development Manager, Heathrow Property Group - British Airways Terminal and airfield space (£4.3b)

  • Airservices Australia - Technical advisor, Projects and Engineering Building, Tullamarine ($20m)

  • Qantas - Project Director - Heavy Maintenance Facility ($Conf)

  • City of Whittlesea – Project Director - Infrastructure works program

  • Buloke Shire Council – Advisor –Infrastructure grant works

Retail

  • Sportsgirl – National Store Development Manager - New stores and refurbishments

  • DEXUS – Project Advisor - Southgate refurbishment close out

  • Coles Group – Due diligence Richmond Plaza acquisition

  • Coles Group – New supermarket, Hallam

  • Coles Group - Due diligence greenfield site acquisition

  • Coles Group - Standard consultant briefs ($N/A)

  • The Westin Melbourne – New retail tenancy and lobby refurbishment

  • Federation Centres – Standard consultant briefs ($N/A)

  • GPT – Galeria Pomorska, Poland Long Term Development Plan

  • ING – Developer’s Representative - Waterfront City Stage 1A ($90m).

  • QIC – Watergardens Stage 2 Town Centre ($100m)

  • Deutsche Bank - Consultant - West Lakes S.C Redevelopment ($150m)

  • QIC – Watergardens Supercentre ($19m)

  • QIC – Woodgrove S.C. Cinema and Retail expansion ($5m)

  • Liquorland – National refurbishment program

  • Katies – Capital works program

  • Red Rooster - National refurbishment program