Prominent corner site in Barwon Heads ripe for redevelopment

A rare opportunity to secure a high-profile position opens the door to a large scale mixed use project in the heart of the popular tourist town.

Expressions of interest at being sought for 5-7 Bridge Rd, Barwon Heads.

A prominent corner site labelled the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Barwon Heads’ town centre offers a fresh development opportunity in the Bellarine Peninsula holiday spot.

The rare 1338sq m landholding at 5-7 Bridge Rd has come to market for the first time in decades on the roundabout that marks the entrance to Hitchcock Ave.

The chance to transform the one-time mechanic’s garage with a new large scale commercial and/or residential project is expected to underpin interest.

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The former mechanic’s garage and restaurant is located at the gateway to Barwon Heads’ main shopping strip.

Maxwell Collins, Geelong agent Nick Lord is handling the expression of interest campaign.

He said the neighbouring IGA supermarket redevelopment and other nearby boutique shopfronts topped with high-end apartments provided an indication of the kind of development that would suit the site.

“It’s a unique opportunity for someone to develop a key site in Barwon Heads that has been held for a very long time,” Mr Lord said.

“And when you see the changing streetscape in Barwon Heads it’s probably an opportunity that there’s not really a lot of now.

“There’s obviously a couple of sites but they have got to come to market. They are very rare, tightly held, so when the opportunity comes up we see there is generally healthy interest.”

The corner property is positioned on Barwon Heads’ main thoroughfare.

The bustling main strip has seen numerous mixed used developments in recent years.

The Commercial 1 zoned property is set on two titles with two street frontages offering high foot traffic and visibility.

It’s within walking distance of the Barwon River and sits on the main thoroughfare for vehicles travelling between Ocean Grove just over bridge and Geelong.

“It will probably be the most iconic site in Barwon Heads once someone develops it, given that most people go down Hitchcock Ave and turn left to go to Ocean Grove,” Mr Lord said.

“We see what has happened in Torquay and Lorne, and all the other coastal markets. Barwon Heads has obviously transitioned a lot over the past 20 years and this is the jewel in the crown on the corner.”
Expressions of interest close on November 13.

Originally published as Prominent corner site in Barwon Heads ripe for redevelopment