Melbourne-based Sunkin Property Group has broken ground on a $500-million-plus mixed-use project at the former-CSIRO site in Highett, one of Melbourne’s largest and most flexible infill development sites.
Following the nod of approval in March from the Bayside City Council, Sunkin has appointed Delta Group in a multi-million-dollar contract that will see the civil contractor commence a one-year program now under way.
More than $10 million will be invested in infrastructure for the large-scale project including new roads, replacement of the Melbourne drain and the upgrading of local services.
Delta Group managing director Con Petropoulo said the group would set the groundwork, road and services infrastructure for the sprawling community development.
The project known as Park Village is one of the most significant urban renewal projects in the Bayside area and will comprise 14 residential buildings ranging from two to seven storeys and offering 1048 homes.
Almost half of the site will be reimagined as new parkland, including a conservation reserve, which will be kept and made publicly accessible.
The Clarke Hopkins Clarke-designed development includes a range of home typologies aimed at improving housing diversity in the area.
A new public library is also proposed on site as well as a maternal and child health centre and integrated wellness and fitness facilities including residents’ gym, pool and spa areas.
Sunkin Property Group’s ambitious development application was approved in November, 2021.
Stage one of the project includes two apartment buildings and a collection of townhouses, all located next to the proposed public park.
The project will have a commitment to a low-carbon economy, with Sunkin targeting net zero capable outcomes through environmentally sustainable design practices.
Sunkin Property Group general manager of property Lloyd Collins said commencing civil works was a significant milestone for the project after the site having laying dormant for more than a decade.
The former research site has undergone a $30-million clean-up prior to its sale after investigative works, through each successive stage, identified a significant level of asbestos in soil across the northern portion of the site.
Following completion of the remediation works earlier this year, CSIRO relinquished 3ha of the site to the community for conservation and an additional hectare to the Bayside City Council for public open space.
“This development will be of significant community benefit due to improved infrastructure and additional amenities, including the new park and conservation area for the public to enjoy,” Collins said.
“It will also provide greater housing diversity while catering to the forecast population growth within Melbourne and the Bayside area more specifically.”
Collins said its proximity to public transport and Monash University’s Caulfield campus had also offered the developer the opportunity to integrate build-to-rent, student accommodation and retirement living.
The 9.6ha rectangular site at 37 Graham Road in the south-eastern bayside suburb was picked up for $90 million in July, 2020.
The site, between the Nepean Highway and Port Phillip Bay, is south of the recently completed Woolworths Shopping Centre, as well as the Highett Train Station and Highett Road retail strip.
Sunkin Property Group is currently completing a $50-million high-end residential project comprising 17 apartments and three penthouses at nearby Brighton.
The developer owns a range of office, retail, leisure and residential development assets including a commercial building at 509 St Kilda Road as well as the 200-room Novotel Melbourne hotel and the adjoining Century City Walk entertainment centre in Glen Waverley.
