A major expansion of a hinterland retirement community has been proposed, after the facility was acquired by new owners.
Reside Communities earlier this month announced it had bought Maleny Grove, the town’s only retirement village, from Live Life Group.
Built in 2010, Maleny Grove currently has 28 villas and a community centre on 5.7 hectares (14 acres) at 9-11 Palm Street, Maleny.
Reside plans to add 66 villas, for a total of 94, and build a new community centre.
A town planning report prepared by Town Planning Alliance, on behalf of Reside and submitted to Sunshine Coast Council, said the second stage of the retirement community would include a mix of detached and duplex dwellings.
“The proposal seeks to respond to community and economic need for additional housing options for older persons,” it said.
“The proposal will add to the diversity of housing options available within the local area and will support the ability for local residents to ‘age in place’ within their established communities as their needs change.”
The dwelling types range in size from 138sqm to 206sqm and offer a mix of two and three-bedroom options with garages for one or two cars.
The community centre building would include a reception space; sales, meeting and consultation rooms; office; salon; cafe and lounge; internal and outdoor dining; gym; bar; function room and outdoor pool.
Reside Communities CEO and co-founder Glen Brown said Maleny Grove was an exciting milestone for the group.
“We’re looking forward to adding Maleny Grove to our growing portfolio of high-quality villages and delivering on our promise of improving living options and access to wellness amenities for residents,” he said.
“Maleny is a popular retirement destination with many local and interstate retirees moving to this beautiful pocket of Australia, so it’s important that the quality of living options for our seniors aligns with demand.
“As our first community on the Sunshine Coast, we will be working closely with current Maleny Grove residents and the community to create a new standard of living that exceeds expectations.”
Pending development approvals, the Maleny Grove expansion is forecast to commence in late 2024, with completion planned in 2027.
Maleny Grove joins Reside’s four other retirement communities in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The development application, for a Material Change of Use for Extension to Retirement Facility, is subject to code assessment.
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