Retirement village coming to University of Wollongong
Students at the University of Wollongong will soon share their campus with retirees as part of a $500 million deal with Leadlease to build an integrated health and wellbeing hub.
The transaction will pave the way for a new 7.5ha precinct that will integrate with the university’s “IntoHealth” Primary and Community Health Clinic. The new facilities will sit at the southern end of the beachside Innovation Campus at Fairy Meadow and include a 126-bed residential aged-care facility, 199 independent retirement living units, an 80-place childcare centre and recreation facilities.
In an Australian first, the university will offer integrated healthcare — from respite and rehabilitation to aged care and mental health services — to residents while providing students with an enhanced practical learning environment.
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UOW and Lendlease will work together to get the relevant project approvals and design, which will be modelled on the Mayo Clinic in the US. The precinct is expected to be running by 2023.
UOW Vice-Chancellor Paul Wellings CBE says: “The Health and Wellbeing Precinct is a transformative project that will focus on one of the great challenges of our time: an ageing population, and deliver novel research and education solutions,” he says.
“By fostering collaboration across higher education, industry, healthcare providers, government and the community, this project will enable education, research and service delivery that benefits local residents and influences how health and aged care is delivered far beyond our region.”
Tony Randello, Lendlease managing director of retirement living, says: “As well as enjoying a range of new facilities and a beachside location, our retirement living residents will benefit from the research taking place right on their doorstep. And, as our residents’ needs change over time, they can move into the on-campus aged care facility and continue to see the same doctor.”
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
