Community-zoned land to offer huge development potential
A huge land parcel now up for sale offers an ideal site for development but residents are not sold on the loss of an area zoned for community facilities. Zoning explainer and what the local councillor reckons will happen.
Cairns
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A new mini subdivision in the heart of Woree on a huge 2.6ha land parcel could be on the horizon pending the sale of the old Mercy Place aged care facility.
Mercy Health closed down the 43-bed nursing home on Toogood Rd in 2021 after the facility was no longer deemed for purpose.
In September land and aged care buildings were spruiked as offering an “unprecedented development” potential after hitting the market listed with CBRE.
The adjoining vacant land parcel of 26,000 sq/m block at 99-111 Toogood Rd provides a significant corner landholding with triple street frontage to Toogood Rd, Jasper and Girralong streets, according to CBRE marketing information.
CBRE Cairns managing director Danny Betros said any development would be subject to approval to Cairns Regional Council approval but there was opportunity at the site for a range of uses.
“It’s ideal for low-to-medium density housing and the existing building could be modified for medial or aged care uses or any kind of allied health industry,” he said.
The sale of the land has many in the nearby community, including Division 3 councillor Cathy Zeiger, wondering what new development could go at the site.
She estimated the land to be worth $4m and the nursing home buildings $2m.
“Everyone is like ‘council needs to buy it’ but we don’t have a spare $6m in the budget,” she said.
Cr Zeiger said the land was currently classified as a community facilities zone, however development outside that scope could progress if an applicant successfully applied to have the area rezoned.
“At the moment it’s zoned as community facilities, anything to help with the community. You can have a nursing home or emergency services or a church there,” she said.
“What you will find is, sadly, developers will probably be interested in putting units in there.
“Any change that happens, they have to put in an application and that will trigger an impact assessable (process) meaning people can put in a submission for or against the development.
“I would love for it to remain as community facilities, something that will benefit the locals and complement the area.
“(But) with the need for housing it would surprise me if we didn’t get something like medium density housing.
“It remains open, to my knowledge there have been no applications.”
The property is being sold through an expressions of interest process which closes on October 26.
Current owners of the land, Mercy Health, have been contacted for comment.
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