The building will house the Department of Primary Industries, along with staff from other departments, including Premier and Cabinet and possibly the Office of Sport, which is currently located in Lords Place.

Verde Property Australia will own and maintain the building which Adco Construction is building.

Project Manager Benjamin Galmes said the block may have appeared quieter last month while the team surveyed the site, but substructure works were now well underway.

VIDEO: Earth moving is underway at the DPI site on Prince Street:

Mr Galmes said there was a team of 28 subcontractors and 36 from Adco at the site this week, with works to commence on the slab on the ground by the end of the month.

He said the project was on track to have all the concrete and steel works completed by February 2020 and the keys handed over by September 2020.

When complete, the four-storey building which takes up the block on Dalton, Sale, Prince and Anson Streets, will have 8500 square metres of office space and a retail cafe.

The developer, Verde Property Australia, is also planning to convert the former ambulance station into a cafe/restaurant/boutique brewery.