What’ll we do with our multi-million-dollar buy-up?: Eastern suburbs school purchases school next door
A PRESTIGIOUS eastern suburbs school has spent several million dollars buying an abandoned nearby school — but it doesn’t yet have any plans for the site.
A PRESTIGIOUS eastern suburbs school has spent up to $3.5m buying an abandoned nearby school — but it doesn’t yet have any plans for the site.
Pembroke School has bought the old Kensington Centre special school on Shipsters Rd, Kensington.
Renewal SA put the 3700sq m site next to Pembroke’s Kings Campus up for sale in May for between $3 million and $3.5 million.
Students from the special school were relocated to Adelaide East Education Centre, in Paradise.
Pembroke principal Luke Thomson said while there are no firm plans for the site, the purchase is “a very significant and exciting acquisition for the school”.
“Discussions are now underway about the most effective use and redevelopment of the site so that it best meets the teaching and learning needs of the school well into the future,” Mr Thomson said.
Plans for the property were not included in the school’s 50-year master plan, which was revealed by the Eastern Courier Messenger in February.
Instead, it focused on building a theatre, indoor pool and boarding houses on the northern side of The Parade.
Mr Thomson said parts of the plan may have to be reconsidered because of the “rare bonus” of the Kensington Centre coming up for sale.
He said it would most likely be used for classrooms, freeing up space in the western part of the school.
“Overall, the acquisition of this site will eventually allow us to increase our open space on the King’s Campus,” he said.
Agent Jones Lang LaSalle promoted the site as prime for residential or mixed-use development, while mentioning it included classrooms, a gym and a house.