Abbotsford Convent fights plan to ‘wall off' iconic spire with retirement village
The application explicitly states that the new design aims to make the chapel and convent spires more visible with a 'curated viewline' from the west, but Hyde's organisation is not convinced.
'We've got concerns with the renders that they're inaccurate. They've been drawn up not to scale, and when you compare the renders to the elevations and the descriptions of the buildings, they're not consistent,' she said.
'It's a higher height and density than any other developments nearby, and it adds another potentially 100 residents to Clarke Street, which is significant in terms of traffic and noise,' she added.
Hyde also said Mercy hadn't accounted for open space in the development plans because it was 'relying on the convent grounds essentially to be their kind of backyard'.
But pro-housing groups argue the city can no longer afford to reject medium-density projects in well-located areas.
Jonathan O'Brien, lead organiser of the activist group YIMBY Melbourne, said that while heritage was crucial, its protection shouldn't automatically prevent development on neighbouring sites.
'It's not particularly tenable to have a system of heritage policy that extends beyond the heritage build itself,' he said. 'What's crucial here is the heritage building itself is not being [physically] impacted, and we need to have a system that allows people to live near it and allows the city to evolve.'
O'Brien said providing more downsizing options was critical to freeing up housing stock across Melbourne.
'The reality is we have a shortage of homes and a shortage of homes aimed at older people,' he said. 'If we want to see empty nests become homes for young families, then we need to provide somewhere for the empty nesters to move, and this is a great option.'
A leading property market expert agreed, pointing to a huge unmet demand from older Victorians.
Richard Temlett, national executive director of property consultancy Charter Keck Cramer, said developers were specifically targeting the 55-plus age group for what he called 'density done well' in buildings of four to six storeys.
'There's very significant demand. We have an ageing baby boomer population – they've paid off their detached dwellings, their kids have moved out of home, and they're looking to downsize in the suburb they are familiar with,' he said.
'If they can stay in the area, it frees up their standalone homes for others to move in or for development into more density, and the suburb continues its evolution.'
Temlett added that this demographic was crucial for making new projects viable. 'They're the ones who can afford to pay for the increased building costs .... required for new supply at the moment.'
The dispute is amplified by the site's history. In the late 1990s, the convent was the focus of a fierce development battle after the Kennett Liberal government sold it to a private developer. A seven-year community campaign led to the Bracks Labor government buying back the site in 2001 and transferring it to a not-for-profit trust.
Hyde characterised the new proposal as exclusive apartments for wealthy people, which she said was not the intended purpose when the convent was saved.
'The convent was preserved as a public space by the state government 21 years ago, and we've been operating as a place for arts and culture and community during that time.'
She wants the buildings and land use to be 'consistent with what was envisaged for this site'.
Hyde said the convent was open to redevelopment if the new building remained the same height. However, in its application, Mercy Health said 60 units were considered the minimum for the project to be financially viable.
The Mercy spokeswoman said the organisation recognised 'the significance of the Abbotsford Convent for the local community' and welcomed community feedback.
'We are committed to respecting the site's heritage and history and will ensure that this is
reflected in the building's design and development,' she said.
The deadline for the public to have their say on the application is midnight Tuesday.
Once Heritage Victoria has approved the plans and the council has provided a permit and land rezoning approval, another round of community input will be sought.
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