Western Sydney Uni enlists Mirvac to redevelop Milperra campus
Western Sydney University has partnered with home builder Mirvac to redevelop its Milperra campus as it transitions towards vertical campuses.
Mirvac has been given the green light to redevelop the Milperra campus once it is decommissioned in 2022 and teaching is moved to WSU’s vertical teaching facility in the heart of Bankstown’s CBD.
Stuart Penklis, Mirvac’s head of residential, says the project development agreement with WSU offers a unique opportunity to open up the strategic, well connected location.
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“We are still in the early stages, but our vision is to create a connected network where we have a diversity of housing types, community gathering areas and an emphasis of green open spaces.
“This will be a walkable, smart and sustainable neighbourhood in a location that has varied public transport options, as well as cycle and pedestrian connections already entrenched,” he says.
Specifics of the deal are still unclear, with community consultation and development applications yet to be lodged with council. The value of the deal was not announced.
The Australian understands the development will include around 300 and 350 lots and will compliment the 350 lots promised at Mirvac’s neighbouring 18-hectare Riverlands at Milperra site.
The university’s western growth strategy is an initiative to align its campuses within key centres within greater Sydney. Two vertical campuses are already operational in Parramatta and Liverpool CBD.
Peter Pickering, WSU’s vice president (finance and resources), says the university has explored several opportunities for the future of the existing campus.
“By repurposing the campus, the university will also build organisational capacity and develop new funding streams for our education and research,” Pickering says.
“At the core of our Western Growth strategy is the establishment of new technologically-advanced vertical campuses in the heart of highly accessible and emerging growth centres within the Western Sydney region, and the repurposing of underutilised assets not required for academic uses to generate a corpus to reinvest into learning, teaching and research.”
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
