Work has started on a major expansion of Anglicare’s Woolooware Shores retirement and aged care village, which will cost $60 million to build.
A soil turning ceremony was held at the Taren Point site on Monday to launch the project, which is being constructed by Growthbuilt.
The ceremony included acknowledging and paying respect to to the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of the land
The development adjoins the existing village on the edge of Woolooware Bay and the entire area was previously used for industrial purposes.
“Our plan is to build a modern, attractive village on the shores of Taren Point to cater to the retirement living needs of the local population,” said Anglicare’s executive general manger of property Peter Paltoo.
“It will not only provide a comfortable lifestyle, but peace of mind should our residents’ circumstances change as they age.”
Five apartment-style buildings will provide 185 retirement living units, while a residential aged care home will accommodate 48 residents and include dementia care facilities.
The site will be extensively landscaped and will include raised flower beds, lawns, BBQ gazebos and seating.
Indigenous trees, shrubs and ground covering will be chosen for sustainability and low maintenance.
The riparian corridors along the drainage channel and foreshore will be retained and revegetated with indigenous plant species.
The development will feature a range of indoor and outdoor recreational and community facilities, including a children’s play area, outdoor seating, craft rooms, respite centre, gym, private cinema and multipurpose community rooms.
Anglicare’s head of property development David Edbrooke said the first stage, comprising 42 apartments and residential aged care home, would be completed in mid-2020.
The timing of the remaining stages would depend on sales performance of stage one.
“There is quite a lengthy priority register for the existing village so we expect that will be reflected in interest in the new development,” he said.
Mr Edbrooke that the two villages would be connected by a bridge over a canal, and there would be a new direct entry and access in Bay Road.
He said a proposed bowling green was dropped from the plans after feedback from existing residents that it wasn’t needed because of facilities already available in the area.
Mr Edbrooke said the space allocated for the bowling green would become “a garden piazza type area”.
