Multimillion-dollar plans for state-of-the-art Meriden School
Meriden has big plans to build a three-storey music and drama centre, remove demountables and increase student intake.
Meriden School in Strathfield has multimillion-dollar plans to build a state-of-the-art three-storey music and drama centre, as well as a two-storey multi-use building.
The development would create new music and drama rooms, add modern teaching spaces to replace demountable classrooms and grow the playground in the junior school campus.
The additions and alterations currently under exhibition relate to all three campuses — prep, junior and senior school. The capital investment value for the State Significant Development almost $25 million.
The plan would also make space for 50 new students, increasing the school’s capacity from 1500 to 1550 students.
The construction would also remove ten trees on campus.
The entire school is about 26,196 sqm along Margaret St and Redmyre Rd.
In the senior school, the existing music building would be demolished to make way for a new three-storey Centre for Music and Drama with a new music academy, a large drama studio, classrooms and performance spaces. An additional two-storeys would be built underground.
The construction of the new music centre would allow for the removal of two demountable classrooms positioned on the school’s fields.
In the Junior school campus, a recently-acquired residential dwelling at 4 Vernon St would be demolished and a new playground built in the Junior school.
The playground would provide 200 sqm of lawn for students to use.
The Lingwood prep school at 16 Margaret St, a new two-storey mutli-use facility would be built, including a Year 12 student centre. This would replace the single-storey business office.
The prep school is already undergoing an almost $8 million redevelopment to construct new teaching and outdoor play areas, and the refurbishment of the heritage Lingwood house and garden.
Meriden’s principal Dr Julie Greenhalgh said: “The development proposal consists mainly of the demolition of the current performing arts facility and replacing it with a contemporary and energy-efficient building.”
“(It would) better cater for the many ensembles, bands, orchestras, individual music lessons (of which there are hundreds every week) and drama performances.”
“Meriden has an enviable reputation in Music … (Many girls) often decide to progress into tertiary education at the Conservatorium. We are very keen to ensure that these talented girls are catered for appropriately at school.,” she said.
In terms of the new playground, Dr Greenhalgh said: “These grounds will be beautifully landscaped, thereby enhancing the heritage appeal of the street.”
The new Year 12 common room and IT support facilities, Dr Greenhalgh said, will help keep with the times.
“As the bureaucratic and technological requirements of schools in NSW continue to grow, so too do the facilities that are needed to provide these services.”
The proposal is a part of Go Girl: Strengthening Meriden’s Voice Strategic Plan 2017-2019.
You can have your say on the NSW Department’s Major Projects website: www. planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects
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