Nunawading Brickworks: Redevelopment set to start after seven year wait
It’s been a massive empty block for seven years, but finally, things are starting to kick into gear for a huge residential development in Nunawading.
East
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One of the last remaining major freehold blocks of land in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs will finally be transformed into a housing development with shops and a large park.
After lying bare for seven years, work on the Daniel Robertson Nunawading Brickworks is set to commence, with the centrepiece chimney to remain as a prominent landmark on the site.
Signage for home builder Diamond Builders, the frame of a small building and a handful of workers were spotted at the site on the corner of Norcal Rd and Station St when Leader visited on Thursday.
The site sold for $21.7m in late 2013 to residential developer AusGroup Property and Development.
Whitehorse Council approved a permit for 173 dwellings, mainly two-three storey townhouses, and construction of roads and a public park in early 2018.
A Diamond Builders spokesman confirmed it was managing construction of the development and a sales office was being built at the site.
The spokesman said civil works including drainage and roads would start within six weeks.
Mount Pleasant Rd resident Eryn Glover, who has lived in her unit for 25 years, said she was bracing for years of what she feared would be “overwhelming” construction activity with her backyard next to the site.
She also had traffic concerns both during construction and after the development was completed.
“There’s 173 townhouses, and you would have to multiply the number of people by two and most people have two cars,” she said.
“I don’t know if Rooks Rd and Station St can handle all the traffic, it’s going to be overwhelming.
“It’s going to be noise pollution and every other form of pollution and disruption to everyday life, and the excavators will probably work six days a week.”
The site has been largely empty for seven years, with the exception of its chimney monument that is heritage protected.
Cr Ben Stennett said he hoped the development would revitalise the pocket of Nunawading.
“It’s a pretty unique piece of land. It’s quite similar in a way to Burwood Brickworks which is a great example of what can be done with urban improvement,’’ he said.
Cr Stennett said the top 5.2m of the chimney was set to be cut off and other remedial works completed through his Facebook page in July.
He said the matter was before the Building Appeals Board to determine a time frame for the works.
AusGroup did not answer calls to its Melbourne office on Thursday afternoon.
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