REVEALED: Mt St Michael’s College Ashgrove unveils new building

A landmark heritage house in Brisbane’s inner-west will be saved, but a character “Ashgrovian’’ home will go, after the government signed off on a major new project at a top girls’ school.

A landmark heritage house in Brisbane’s inner-west will be saved, but a character “Ashgrovian’’ home will go, after the government signed off on a major new project at a top girls’ school.

Mt St Michael’s College (MSM) has announced it would go ahead with plans for a striking three-level brick library, administration and classroom block, with adjacent 1899-era Grantully “repurposed’’.

A character, but not heritage listed, Ashgrovian at 50 Amarina Ave in Ashgrove which the school bought for $1.15 million in 2016 would however need to be demolished.

MSM angered some neighbours in the character street last year when it revealed plans for the three-level building.

The government last week ticked off on the project, lodged under the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation process.

MIDs bypass Council by-laws and limit the public’s right to appeal in the planning court.

The new learning centre would house a library, presentation space and general learning areas as well as the school’s administration.

Artist's impression of the new building. Picture: KO & Co

This would allow the school to repurpose some existing buildings, including the heritage-listed Grantully which was currently being used as the school’s current administration building.

MSM chairwoman Mandy Anderson said the approval was “great news’’ for the school as it prepared for its centenary next year and the introduction of the first Year 5 and 6 students.

“The school’s size is not changing, but the quality of our facilities will improve dramatically with the completion of this new facility,” she said.

“Contemporary, flexible learning spaces and a larger, fit-for-purpose library are essential to the college delivering on its mission of providing an excellent education for young women and creating lifelong learners.”

The building program included landscaping, with the immediate removal of the 50 Amarina Ave, which has been used as the school’s Innovation Centre.

The College has obtained the necessary building approvals to demolish the Ashgrovian, which was on a 1047 sqm site.

This Ashgrovian at 50 Amarina Ave will be demolished as part of the project. Picture: Google Streetview

Several near neighbours last year lodged formal objections to the plans, saying the design was not in keeping with the triple-gabled house style synonymous with the suburb’s name.

They also feared the plan could lead to an increase in the number of students, presently capped at just under 900 students and 107 full-time-equivalent staff.

However, the school has repeatedly insisted it was not expanding.

“We are very concerned that once a new large structure is built that MSMC will then seek approval to raise the cap on the number of students at the school,’’ one neighbour said in their submission last year.

“There is an existing history of MSMC changing the material use of the MSMC site and raising the cap on the number of students at the college, with the most recent being in 2011 when the cap was raised from 750 to 900 students.’’

However the college, which posts some of the best NAPLAN and ATAR results in the state, downplayed the concerns.

Heritage listed Grantully House will be repurposed. Picture: Kerry Raymond/Wikimedia Commons

A traffic report lodged by the school said there would be no extra impact on Amarina Ave, Aloomba Rd or Elimatta Drive, there would be no new carparking, new staff access would be built — but in the same general area — and there would be no impact on the bus stop.

The school conducted an engagement process over 16 days last year, including emailing nearly 900 people and holding drop-in sessions.

“We have designed the proposed new learning centre to minimise noise travelling from

the campus to neighbours,’’ the College said in the MID documents.

“For example, we ensured that there are no balconies facing our residential neighbours.

“We have also ensured that the open outdoor learning space on Level 2 of the proposed building is designed to face inward to the campus.

“The new learning centre requires the removal of the Innovation Centre.

“Even though the Innovation Centre is an old building, it is not listed in Council’s City Plan heritage overlays, the local heritage register, or the state heritage register.’’