Ringwood development site in between court, police station up for grabs

Plans for luxury apartments in a unique location – between a courthouse and a cop shop – could be revived in a booming suburb. Here’s why.

The original artist impressions for a luxury apartment project between Ringwood Magistrates’ Court and Ringwood Police Station, first planned in 2019. File picture.

Plans to build luxury apartments in between Ringwood’s courthouse and police station could be revived, as investors circle a prime block of land.

Offers are being assessed for the 666sq m block at 33-35 Ringwood St, opposite Eastland Shopping Centre, after it hit the market last month.

Developer Melstone had gained approval from Maroondah Council in early 2019 to build a seven-storey complex containing 28 oversized luxury apartments, along with a cafe and restaurant on the ground level.

But signage for the development, titled Alight, disappeared last year and the block has since remained boarded up and vacant.

The project is no longer listed on Melstone’s website and the last social media posts promoting the project were in May 2019.

The permit for the project remains attached to the site and Crabtrees Real Estate took expressions of interest until April 4.

Crabtrees declined to comment on interest in the site as a sale was yet to be finalised.

The empty site is the second on Ringwood St which could become home to a high rise building in the coming years.

Construction is underway on a 10-storey office complex on land in front of Ringwood’s Costco store on the corner of Bond St.

Eastland owners Queensland Investment Corporation’s project, titled 5 Bond St, is set to boast four levels of parking, five levels of office space and ground floor retail and cafes.

The complex is set to be finished sometime in 2024.