5 years on, there’s news on this eastern suburbs school site — the former Massada College
THE plan for a former school site in Adelaide’s east — where places for public school spots are incredibly tight — has finally been revealed. But it’s not what many were hoping for.
- 1000 homes to be built on Glenside Hospital site
- The old Massada College site has been sold
- The local public school you can’t get your kids into
- Glenunga High restricts enrolments
- Where a good school is worth more than your dream house
THE plan for a former school site in Adelaide’s east — where places for public school spots are incredibly tight — has finally been revealed.
But it’s not what many were hoping for.
The former Massada College, which had operated as an independent Jewish school in Adelaide for 35 years before closing in 2011, will be redeveloped as housing under the new owner’s plans for the Glenside site.
Business partners Leilo Bibbo and Domenic Mittiga bought the former Jewish school, at 13 Flemington St, for $1.2 million in July.
Their plans for the site were outlined last week in a submission to the State Government on a planned rezoning of land around the former Glenside hospital to allow for housing.
In a letter to the Planning Department on behalf of Mr Bibbo, planner Lou Fantasia said the changes would support his client’s plans for a “residential development” on the 3612sq m block.
The Massada College site was zoned for educational and religious purposes, under existing planning rules for the area.
“The land has no value for education and religious purposes in the near future … we submit this land is now more suited to residential development,” Mr Fantasia said in the letter.
Mr Mittiga last week told EasternCourier Messenger the development would include a mix of one and two-storey houses, similar to those on Flemington St and Cedar Crescent.
He said plans were at a “very preliminary stage” but was hopeful work would start within the next 12 months.
Massada College, Adelaide’s last Jewish school, closed after it went into voluntary administration in 2011.
Bragg state Liberal MP Vickie Chapman had called for the State Government to buy the site and reopen it as a primary school to help ease enrolment pressures in the area.
Ms Chapman was last week disappointed when told of Mr Bibbo and Mr Mittiga’s plan, saying it was “a missed opportunity” by the government.
However, Ms Chapman planned to continue lobbying the government to build a new school at the site of the Conyngham St dog park.