St Ives’ new carbon neutral childcare centre site for sale

A prime 2020sqm site, which will accommodate St Ives’ newest child care centre, has hit the market with price hopes of $9.5 million to $10 million.

Construction of the Orchard Early Learning Centres’ St Ives facility has started, and is due to be completed well in time for a February opening.

The sale of the land will not affect the ownership or operation of the centre. Orchard Early Learning Centres has a 15-year lease on the site with rare options to 2054.

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Michael Gilbert, of Burgess Rawson, is marketing the property at 318 Mona Vale Rd, St Ives, through an expressions of interest campaign closing at 4pm on July 4.

The childcare centre will have lots of open space.

Gilbert says the cutting-edge design and unique location adds to the property’s appeal.

“The developer’s goal for this property is to deliver a premium product that combines the very latest initiatives in sustainable design and hopefully, Australia’s first ever stand-alone zero carbon emission childcare centre,” he says.

“The star tenant has locked in a rare triple net lease with options to 2054 and agreed to valuable three per cent annual rent increases, but it’s the location that will attract investor attention.

An artist’s image of the St Ives childcare centre.

“The asset is positioned on a high exposure main road in Sydney’s affluent North Shore and there are 13 schools within a 3km radius.

“Young families will be knocking at the door wanting their children to be looked after in the newest and most sustainable centre to arrive to Sydney.”

The property will return a net income of $550,000 (per annum plus GST), which is set togrow to $842,477 by 2033.

The future open plan interior of the childcare centre.

The new centre aims to be Australia’s first custom-built, zero carbon emission facility, and will be taking enrolments from July.

The centre’s early learning philosophy is based on the Reggio Emilia model, and will have sprawling natural outdoor play areas, including an orchard, chicken coop, worm farms and children’s working gardens that will provide produce for use in the kitchen.

The centre will have the capacity to provide education and care for 95 children across six classrooms, including a nursery for 10 infants up to two months old. The remaining five classrooms will cater for children up to five years old.

The childcare centre will be environmentally sensitive.

The company has another new centre at Kirrawee, which opened late last year.

Operations manager Danielle Gallacher says the outdoor areas will be a standout.

“We have created a lush, forest-like experience filled with plants, pear trees and apples, edible gardens, sensory gardens, sand, rocks, mud, recycled water stations and other elements from nature,” she says.

“These spaces invite open-ended interactions, spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery and connection with nature.”

The company is taking a two-fold approach to its carbon footprint, in the building’s architectural design and also in the daily operation of the centre when it is up and running.

Gallacher says these will move towards a “minimal, low or zero carbon footprint for the centre’s daily operation”.

Orchard Early Learning Centres is owned and operated by business partners Steven and Peter Schlederer who have been operating childcare centres in Sydney for almost 20 years. They founded and then sold both the Acre Woods and Bird House Early Learning Centres businesses and brands to G8, Guardian Early Learning and Only About Children.

The St Ives centre will be the second in a chain of premium centres in prestige locations.

This article from the North Shore Times originally appeared as “Site of new carbon neutral child care centre at St Ives on market”.