BaptistCare: Macquarie Park aged care hub to be redeveloped into high-rise units, shops, five storey school

More than 100 residents will have to relocate from a Sydney aged care and seniors living hub under a major plan to turn the site into high-rise units, shops and a five storey primary school. See what’s planned:

More than 100 residents will have to relocate from an aged care and seniors living hub in Sydney’s north as owners plan to turn the site into a “vertical village”, with high-rise units, retail areas and a five-storey primary school.

Aged care provider BaptistCare has revealed early plans to redevelop its aged care site in Macquarie Park in a move designed to “provide more diverse housing options” for the community, a spokeswoman said.

The 6.4ha site on Balaclava Rd is currently home to 300 aged care beds across three centres – the Dorothy Henderson Lodge, Cooinda Court and the Shalom Centre.

It is also home to the Willandra Retirement Village which has 130 independent living units spread across the site.

A BaptistCare spokeswoman confirmed the first stage of the development would involve redeveloping the retirement village to make way for the ’vertical village’ which will incorporate a new 154 unit independent living complex.

A photo of the Dorothy Henderson Lodge.

She said BaptistCare had begun providing advice to retirement village residents who have been given a deadline of 2025 to find somewhere else to live.

“The confirmed location of the new vertical village means BaptistCare has made the difficult decision to relocate all Willandra Village residents over the course of the next three years,” she said.

BaptistCare has operated the site since the 1960s.

“We have told residents as early as possible, so that together with each resident we can plan, without time pressure, and support residents to find alternative accommodation that best suits their needs into the future. 

“No resident will be without a home, and BaptistCare is committed to working alongside each resident to find a new home and helping them to relocate before construction of the new village commences.

“Residents will be offered the opportunity to return to the new vertical village (once the development is completed) should they choose to.”

A masterplan for the project shows the vertical village will incorporate a new residential care facility with 96 beds. There will also be new unit buildings on the site, retail areas, and a five-storey primary school catering for about 1000 students.

A masterplan of the development.

The site is home to three aged care centres.

The BaptistCare spokeswoman said the three residential aged care homes currently located on the site were not included in the first stage of the development but would be subject to further stages of the development plan.

“(They) will continue to operate in their current capacity and will be the subject of future detailed development applications for later stages of the master plan,” the spokeswoman said.

Plans stated the existing facilities at the site were “currently dated” and need to be upgraded to meet modern standards of care.

An early proposal has been lodged with the Department of Planning.

The BaptistCare spokeswoman said the redevelopment could also create an “intergenerational living” model which was known to minimise stress and feelings of social isolation for both seniors and younger people. 

“We believe that mixed-use precincts allow for the creation of a vibrant, community-oriented development, that will support the aim of boosting Greater Sydney’s liveability, productivity, and sustainability, and enable BaptistCare to deliver much-needed care services,” she said.

“It will be community oriented development that includes provision for aged care, student and affordable housing, as well as residential uses.”

The project is currently in the early stages of development with a full environmental impact statement expected to lodged to the Department of Planning at a later date.

A photo of the site.

The company spokeswoman said the need to relocate retirement village residents from the site was partly due to disturbances expected to be created from development works at the site.

“We found that residents would experience years of loud noise, vibration and dust, as well as frequent heavy vehicle movement during construction hours if they remained living onsite while construction of the vertical village took place,” she said. 

“Construction would also include the closure of key access roads around the village, limiting resident vehicle access, new truck access routes and storage zones (and) impacts to pedestrian paths significantly impeding movement for residents.”

Ryde Mayor Jordan Lane when contacted by the Northern District Times said he was not aware of the proposal, but supported any provisions to ensure residents are provided with alternative housing.

“The top priority would be making sure the residents are looked after in the interim period and making sure there are no residents left without a home,” he said.

BaptistCare has operated aged care services on the site since 1962.