Bateau Bay: Nareen Gardens $148M plans to quadruple the size of its retirement village

The Nareen Gardens retirement village will be knocked down and rebuilt to cater for more than 400 residents under an ambitious $148 million redevelopment plan.

The Nareen Gardens retirement village at Bateau Bay is set for a massive redevelopment under new plans lodged with Central Coast Council.

The village is owned and operated by the Uniting Church, which has lodged a development application (DA) with Central Coast Council to demolish the existing 62 single-storey buildings on the 3.76ha site currently comprising of 114 independent living units, office and community centre.

Artist impression of the new retirement village comprising of seven three to four-storey unit blocks. Picture: supplied

In their place Uniting plans to build six three to four-storey unit blocks containing a total of 192 units.

The units will be made up of a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments.

It also seeks to build one, four-storey residential aged care facility with 160 beds on the first two levels and a further 40 independent living units on the top two storeys.

The redevelopment would be staggered over four stages with the demolition of 43 units and the construction of 84 units done first.

The village’s 62 existing buildings will be demolished to make way for the new development. Picture: supplied

The four-storey, 160-bed residential aged care facility would be done in stage two with the remaining units knocked down and new unit blocks built in the following stages.

The existing retirement village at 19 Bias Ave, Bateau Bay, was built in the 1980s and while Uniting looked at other sites, it settled on Nareen Gardens because the ageing village was costing a lot to maintain and the flat site was easier to redevelop.

“The SEE (statement of environmental effects) concludes the site is suitable for the proposed redevelopment and the development is of an appropriate scale and design, consistent with the desired future character of the area and has no adverse amenity impacts,” the DA states.

The tired old retirement village will be redeveloped as a mini retirement city under the new plans. Picture: supplied

“It is considered that based on the overwhelmingly positive social benefit associated with the development and its minor and manageable environmental impacts, approval of the subject DA is in the public interest.”

The retirement village will also feature a village Green, alfresco areas including barbecues, shade structures and table/bench seating, community gardens, pocket parks, a children’s playground and “circulation and fitness paths” within the residential aged care block.

The village green will be a focal point for residents to mingle and enjoy the fresh air. Picture: supplied

The DA states one courtyard is for high care dementia residents and has a “sensory garden palette using a variety of plant species to stimulate the senses in terms of aroma, texture and colour to evoke memory” and designed to balance accessibility, privacy and surveillance by staff.

The redevelopment will also feature communal facilities including a cafe, gym, chapel, cinema, pool and clubroom with up to 70 staff working at the village at any one time.

Aerial view of the existing retirement village which will be knocked down and rebuilt in stages. Picture: supplied

“The Applicant has commenced discussions with residents early to ensure they are aware of the proposed development and that there may be a need for residents to relocate internally within the site during the construction phases,” the DA states.

“The Applicant has started increasing the vacancy rate across the site to accommodate this future need to relocate residents during construction.”

About 90 of the site’s 216 trees will be removed with new landscaping and tree planting to be done.

Uniting's Nareen Gardens retirement village at Bateau Bay will be knocked down and redeveloped under $148 million plans to increase its capacity fourfold. Picture: supplied

The proposed development provides a total of 311 carparking spaces, including 180 spaces for the independent living units, 70 spaces for residential aged care staff, 43 spaces for aged care residents, and 16 visitor spaces.

The capital investment value of the project is estimated at $147,629,930 and is expected to go before the Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel.

Uniting told residents it hoped to gain approval by mid next year.

A spokesperson for Uniting said it had no plans for construction within the next 12 months and would keep residents and the community updated on its plans and timeframes.

“We will continue to operate business as usual while we consider the timeframe for construction,” the spokesperson said.

“Any potential changes may take place a few years into the future.”