Windermere Bay Precinct in Claremont was set to include hundreds of apartments

A major residential and retail development was approved at the site of the former Claremont Primary School in March 2021. Three years on, nothing has been built. The latest >>

Windermere Bay artist impression of development

The former Claremont Primary School site is “dormant” as a major residential development faces post-Covid cost pressures.

The proposed Windermere Bay Precinct initially featured 315 apartments and townhouses, local shops, a cafe, facilities including a gym and pool, and a childcare centre within a parkland setting, with a permit was issued in March 2021.

The $200m development, designed by Circa Morris-Nunn Architects, will keep the original heritage-listed school building for community use.

However plans were scaled down in September 2022 amid post-Covid cost pressures and community concern about the scale of the development.

A spokeswoman for Glenorchy City Council said after an application for a staged development was approved in March 2021, changes to the staging were approved in 2023 and a two-year extension of the permit was granted in February 2023.

“Demolition works were completed mid-2023 and the site is currently dormant. The site proponents are working with a key tenant for the school building,” the spokeswoman said.

“They are also working to redesign the remainder of the site considering cost escalations and other condition changes in the industry post Covid.

“Once the key tenancy has been resolved a new planning application will be submitted for the redesign of the balance of the site.”

The former Claremont Primary School, where a major residential and mixed use development was approved in 2021. However nothing has been built at the site and the development is currently on hold.

Local residents opposed to the Windermere Bay Precinct proposal raised concerns about the 26m height of the buildings, the housing density and increased traffic.

Despite the opposition to the development, there’s also concern about the site remaining vacant and derelict.

Claremont Primary School closed in 2011 and has been subject to vandalism and arson.

The sprawling site now consists of long grass, weeds, a pile of demolition rubble next to the graffitied main school building.

Nearby resident Martin Watkins said it was a shame the site had been neglected.

“I can’t understand why it’s on hold, other councils have a clause in their contracts that if nothing is done to it for so many years they have got to reapply,” Mr Watkins said.

Mr Watkins said the site had been a local eyesore for years and would detract from the $100m revival of the nearby Cadbury chocolate factory visitor centre.

“How is that going to fit in with the school in its present state?” he said.

“Surely the council will have to have something in place with the developer about cleaning up the site or doing something with it.”

Circa Morris-Nunn was contacted for comment.