Doncaster Road humming with development
Development along the major eastern suburb thoroughfare of Doncaster Road appears to be humming this year, with one major project completed, another beginning – and the site of the next one (pictured, top), being created, and listed for sale this month.
Doncaster Road
Doncaster Road begins at the East Kew junction and passes through Balwyn North, Doncaster, Doncaster East and Donvale before terminating at Tunstall Square – were the thoroughfare becomes known as Mitcham Road.
The bulk of development activity to date has circled around the Westfield Doncaster shopping centre, about 14 kilometres from the city.
Zoned as the Doncaster Hill Activity Centre, this pocket was where high-density apartments were first developed in Melbourne’s suburbs in the 1990s.
In May, Westfield announced plans for a $500 million redevelopment of the centre, adding apartments and a new exclusive retail precinct (artist’s impression, above).
About a kilometre closer to the city, Mirvac is replacing the 47 hectare former Eastern Golf Club on Doncaster Road with a major housing estate, Tullamore.
Mirvac paid $100 million for the Eastern in 2009
Recently completed: 534-540 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
Aged care service provider Benetas is responsible for Doncaster Road’s newest major development.
Benetas outmuscled developers for the former PappaRich restaurant, which occupied an enormous 6323 square metre plot at 534-540 Doncaster Road, within the Doncaster Hill Activity Centre.
The sale price reflected a land rate of about $2900 per square metre.
Last year, Benetas won approval to replace the property with a $110 million village comprising 74 independent living units within a seven storey building, next to a 124-bed aged care accommodation building of six levels.
The complex opened earlier this year.
Recently started: Folia at Tullamore, Doncaster
Three weeks ago, Mirvac held a sod turning ceremony and kicked off construction of Folia – the latest apartment building earmarked for the Doncaster Road edge of the former Eastern Golf Club.
Folia will rise seven storeys and contain 102 flats.
It is the second apartment building Mirvac has developed in the housing estate it has branded Tullamore: The neighbouring complex, Phoenix, is six levels, and 90 per cent sold out and settled.
Mirvac said it sold half of Folia’s apartments off the plan in four months. The tower is due for completion in 2021, it added.
Tullamore will accommodate about 850 residences upon completion – 570 of those have been offered for sale to date.
Next in line: 1094 and 1096 Doncaster Road, Doncaster East
Neighbouring low-rise investment properties toward the eastern edge of Doncaster Road, near the Tunstall Square shopping centre, in Doncaster East, could make way for the precinct’s next major development.
Covering a combined site of 1322 square metres and zoned Commercial 1, 1094 and 1096 Doncaster Road would be considered for a high density healthcare or residential project, an office, or a mixed-use complex containing one of these uses atop ground floor retail and basement car parking.
A six storey outcome could reasonably be considered permissible by an incoming owner.
CBRE’s Sandro Peluso said that while Tunstall Square has avoided the building boom which has gripped other parts of Doncaster Road, demand from developers it there, while supply hasn’t been.
The triple fronted site is a couple of hundred metres away from a healthcare precinct with the Donvale Rehabilitation Hospital, Bupa Aged Care and TLC The Heights accommodation complexes.
Mr Peluso is marketing the properties – a residence and a double-storey office – with colleagues David Minty and Chao Zhang.
