Grey Wave Rises as Melbourne Seniors Megavillage Approved
Plans for a megavillage of nearly 500 homes in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Frankston South have been given the green light.
Vasey RSL Care filed plans to knock down, rebuild and expand its retirement village, which supports veteran seniors, in October last year.
The aged care developer can now move ahead with replacing the 1975-built facility at 85 Overport Road after winning a ministerial permit from the Department of Transport and Planning.
The project with a development value of $320.6 million will rise on a 7.62ha site 52km south of the Melbourne CBD.
The project was assessed via the Development Facilitation Program—it was implimented to cut assessment times to four months, which is reportedly 10 months less than via council processes.
The Vasey RSL Care plans comprise an 80-bed residential aged care facility connected to an ancillary communal facility with a cafe, kitchen and physio rooms.
The wider retirement village designed for over-65s will offer 414 living units, including 105 affordable homes for veterans, 52 assisted living units, 237 standard units and 20 villas.
Stage 1 covers the four-storey ex-service apartments and townhouses as well as single-storey villas, and Block C, a five-storey apartment complex of 68 units, as well as a central piazza area.
The aged care facility designed by Thomson Adsett Architects will be delivered in Stage 2, while stages 3 and 4 will complete the remaining villas and independent living units in apartment blocks of up to five storeys.
Two community hubs will include a cafe, library, gym, pool and event spaces.
The site is near the Frankston Nature Reserve and the Frankston Reservoir, and 2km south of the New Frankston hospital.
Also part of the plans are 565 car parking spaces.
The new precinct will be a major step up form the current retirement village, which has 120 residents and 83 retirement village units for veterans housing.
The Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region has one of the highest veteran populations in Australia, according to Vasey RSL Care chief executive Janna Voloshin.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
Vasey RSL Care has also submitted an expressions of interest under the Housing Australia future Fund third round to support its affordable housing program.
Melbourne aged care projects flood in
At the same time, a trio of Arcare projects that would offer 410 aged care rooms across the wider Melbourne area are progressing.
Arcare has filed plans for a residential aged care facility at 724-728 Whitehorse Road at Mitcham, 27km east of the Melbourne CBD.
Under those plans, a three-storey building of 133 rooms would replace a vacant building previously used as a disability services and support centre.
Designed by Via Architects, the project would include communal leisure and recreation facilities, and basement car parking for staff and visitors.
Meanwhile, 12km south of the Melbourne CBD, Arcare is planning a four-storey aged care facility of 176 rooms.
The project, at 85-93 Wilson Street and 10-19A Alverna Grove at Brighton, is being designed by Studio McCue Architects.
And further south, Arcare is planning a 101-room residential facility at 440-442 Station Street at Bonbeach, also designed by Via Architects.
