Plans for Aveo Springfield seniors’ living campus to set new benchmark in retirement design

High density living with retail, services and access to work, education and health - this is the vision for a massive senior’s precinct set to create a new benchmark for retirement living.

BCM Property Home liftout. Aveo Springfield aerial artistic impression. The proposed 'seniors central' development is for up to 2500 new seniors housing units and other health and integrated facilities.

A MASSIVE $1.7 billion ‘seniors living campus’ in the heart of Greater Springfield is set to create a new benchmark for retirement community design.

Aveo Springfield will include up to 2500 new seniors housing units and other health and integrated facilities over the next 15 years, and will be part of the $6.4 billion Health City Springfield Central.

Aveo Retirement executive general manager Alison Quinn said the masterplanned vision for Health City provided the opportunity for Aveo Springfield to be an integrated, purpose-built environment unlike anything currently seen in the retirement living sector.

“It’s really exciting because I think this is a world-first,” she said.

Ms Quinn said the development would be a medium to high-density community, with a retail high street that would be a “key artery” for the community.

Ms Quinn said the hill site had created a challenge, but buildings would range from two or three storeys along the high street with nine, and possibly 12 storeys, on either side.

Two large public areas are also planned, with one potentially a tiered amphitheatre style.

“We will have a full range of care options, independent living through to end-of-life care,” she said.

“And full integration of community facilities, with retail outlets but with a strong focus on health and wellbeing, such as allied health services.

“It’s about making a seniors campus that is really open and part of the community, not closed away. We want people of all ages to come there because of the services and facilities.”

Springfield Land Corporation CEO of Health and Education Enterprises Terry Kearney said Aveo Springfield would connect with the nearby Mater Hospital precinct, high school, university and TAFE campuses, Orion shopping centre, Robelle Domain parklands and the recently opened train station.

“All the research tells us if we were to place a seniors’ campus anywhere, we should connect it to health, recreation, education, retail and transport and I reckon we have scored 10 out of 10 on that,” he said.

Mr Kearney said Greater Springfield was a “young city” but the seniors living campus had been years in development.

“We have 30,000 people live here at the moment and we have extensive demand from our community, and adjoining communities, for places that people can go in retirement and aged care. And at this stage we have no product at all in that space.”

Ms Quinn said Aveo was working with Ipswich City Council to lodge their master area development plan before Christmas.

Originally published as Plans for Aveo Springfield seniors’ living campus to set new benchmark in retirement design