Berkeley school site gets revamp

MMJ Wollongong has lodged an application with Wollongong City Council on behalf of Nagaz Pty Ltd to build 18 townhouses and five villas on the land.

Nagaz is headed by Wollongong solicitors Malcolm and Nathan Heard and One Three Designer Homes founder Gary Carson.

The development carries the working name Berkeley Shores, and has been designed to complement the suburb’s ‘‘village character and streetscape’’, planning documents say.

Mr Carson told the Mercury the homes would target the first home buyer and family markets and would include a mix of three-bedroom and two-bedroom dwellings.

‘‘From all the research we’ve done we believe it [the price] is going to be very realistic and achievable for the market,’’ he said, adding it was rare to find new homes in the suburb.

‘‘Definitely people already living in the area and looking to upgrade will want to look at this.’’

Mr Carson said the contemporary design of the homes would bring some class to the area.

‘‘It will be a fantastic development for Berkeley,’’ he said.

Wollongong City Council has already approved demolition of the remaining school buildings on the site, which have sat empty since the end of 2009 when falling student numbers forced the school to close.

Its 33 remaining students were transferred to Berkeley or Berkeley West public schools.

The Department of Education sold the Essex St land last year for an undisclosed sum.

The derelict buildings have been hit by arsonists on at least two occasions; once in September last year and again in April this year.

Planning documents say the townhouse development is allowed under the site’s low density residential zoning and will provide a mix of housing opportunities for the region.

Plans for the development are on public exhibition on the council’s website.