Pace Plots 470-Home Windsor Precinct at Former Convent

Seven Irish nuns arrived in the 1870s and now, 150 years later, Pace Development Group is planning to convert their former convent into a mixed-use precinct. Proposals for the staged development of 470 homes has been submitted to the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning via the Development Facilitation Program pathway. Designed by Cera Stribley, Pace’s proposals reimagine the historic site at 167-187 Dandenong Road, close to the Sandringham railway line. Presentation College was founded in 1874 by the seven Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Ireland as a convent for nuns. The chapel off Hornby Street was built in 1875 and the convent’s main building constructed in 1884. It operated as an educational institution until 2020 when it was taken over by St Mary’s College, which itself closed its doors in 2024. Presentation College was put up for sale in 2025 with an estimated $50 million price tag. Pace acquired the 1.9ha site for around $40 million. Pace co-managing director James Simpson told The Urban Developer that the site has all of Pace’s preferred characteristics, as a high-amenity inner-city location. “Windsor is the kind of site that a vertically integrated business like Pace knows how to curate from start to finish,” Simpson said. “It's big, it's got real heritage on it and it needs all disciplines working completely in sync together and pulling in the same direction. “Because we deliver so much of the development lifecycle in-house, we can stage it perfectly to ensure each building is designed and delivered harmoniously and curated as an individual experience.” Pace’s application seeks approval for a three-stage residential development with affordable housing. Six buildings are included in the plans ranging from a five storey and 2 six-storey blocks with three 10-storey apartment buildings. ▲ Pace's precinct is being designed by Cera Stribley. Allocated as “Building C” the plans also include 12 two to three-storey semi-detached homes. In total, the proposals outline 470 homes. St Mary’s College heritage building will be adaptively reused as a recreation facility, with the external facade retained. The college building will be subject to internal layout plans at a later stage to convert it into a member’s club with a gym, Pilates spaces, a bathhouse, sauna and steam room, massage rooms, and member dining and working spaces. It will be converted as part of stage 1, while stage 2 will deliver buildings A and B, with the historic Mulqin building being adaptively reused to accommodate a residential lobby. ▲ There are multiple heritage buildings on site which Pace is planning to adaptively reuse. Stage 3 would deliver another adaptive reuse project of the Nagel Building—named for the founder of the Presentation Sisters order Nano Nagle—for a five-storey apartment block. Stages 4 through to 6 are considered under the application, but at concept level only, with a masterplan detailing the delivery of the remainder of the buildings. Each heritage building is being reviewed individually and then incorporated into the development, Simpson said. “Seven Irish nuns arrived here in 1873 and this site has been in community use ever since, right up until 2024. “The old college building becomes the heart of the place, the Nagel building becomes homes, and the fig tree that has watched Windsor grow up stays exactly where it is. Adaptive reuse is harder and slower than starting with a clear site — but an exciting challenge, which we look forward to celebrating on the site.” As part of its proposals, Pace is asking to amend planning controls to remove the “redundant” Incorporated Plan overlay, which no longer reflects the use, ownership or strategic role of the land, the planning report by Urbis said. Pace expects the first stage to start in mid 2027 with completion towards the end of 2028. Pace’s development site is in the Windsor Station precinct under the State Government’s Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres Program announced last year and has been earmarked for density. The proposal represents the “redevelopment of a large, underutilised inner-urban site” with “significant opportunity” to provide additional housing, including 10 per cent affordable homes. According to Pace’s planning reports, it will help Stonnington City Council and the state government in meeting the ambitious municipal housing targets outlined in the Plan for Victoria. Further north, Melbourne-based Pace has been relatively quiet in the past year, focusing on smaller projects such as its 85-home Fabbrica at Fitzroy, but has a history of much bigger mixed-use precincts, finishing major projects in Sunshine North and Blackburn in 2023.

Apartments
Clare Burnett
Fri 21 Aug 26

Pace Plots 470-Home Windsor Precinct at Former Convent

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ApartmentsClare BurnettFri 21 Aug 26

Pace Plots 470-Home Windsor Precinct at Former Convent

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Fri 21 Aug 26