Plans for former Catholic convent in Holland Park West to be demolished for childcare centre

Designs have been submitted to knock down a convent in Holland Park to make way for a 101-place childcare centre. SEE THE PLANS

The new owner of a former convent in Brisbane’s inner south has submitted plans to build a childcare centre on the site.

The private investor/developer paid $2.35m for the corner site at 43 Crown St, Holland Park West, that according to CoreLogic was owned by the Corporation of the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

The 1803sq m L-shaped parcel of land is near St Joachim’s Primary School and currently has a vacant 500sq m two-level building that was constructed in 1949 as a convent.

The former convent at 43 Crown St, Holland Park West.

The new owner, under the entity Trustee of PB Childcare Springwood C/- JFP Urban Consultants, has applied to the Brisbane City Council seeking approval for a 101-place childcare centre catering for children from nursery age to preschool.

Savills’ Robert Dunne, who struck the deal with Will Carman, said Holland Park West was near the city with good transport and becoming more popular with urban professional couples and families, generating strong median house price growth over recent years.

“We had 84 interested parties which resulted in 20 offers — a clear indication that Holland Park West is certainly on the up and up,” Mr Dunne said.

“This area of Holland Park is undersupplied for childcare at the moment but there’s a growing trend for childcare facilities in these inner city locations.”

The property is on the corner of Walter St has low to medium density zoning which allows to developments of up to three levels.

The plans, which have not been approved at this stage, include the former convent building and shed to be demolished.

If approved the new building will have a 778sq m footprint, with basement carparking and it will take up 43 per cent of the site.

An artist's impression of the 101-place childcare centre at 43 Crown St, Holland Park West.

According to an economic needs analysis submitted to council Charley’s Place is the intended operator for the centre in an area where there is a gap in the market for childcare centres.

The analysis said there are only two childcare centres currently located within the catchment Area, together offering only 150 places, with particularly high occupancy rates.

“Moreover, there has been limited development of new centres throughout the Holland Park

West/Greenslopes area over the last decade with a considerable number of centres within the

network built more than 10 years ago, suggesting a gap in the network for modern childcare

and early learning centres,” it said.

Plans for the 101-place childcare centre at Holland Park West, which have been submitted to the Brisbane City Council.

Mr Carman said the Holland Park West features a mixture of building types with post-war housing, sitting alongside walk-up developments from the 1960s through to the 1990s.

“In recent years, large, modern homes have been built on top of some of Holland Park West’s hills to take advantage of the views of Brisbane’s skyline,” he said.