Accommodation, landscaping and other changes are being planned for the Bourke Street site. Image: Purdon.
Plans for the future of an historic Goulburn site have been revealed.
Following the redevelopment of Goulburn Base Hospital, Southern NSW Local Health District permanently vacated the site of Goulburn’s former St John of God Hospital in January.
In the draft plans, the site’s layout is described as being “typical of institutional campuses”.
“While some buildings continue to support valued community uses, others have become functionally obsolete following the relocation of hospital services to the Goulburn Base Hospital,” the document states.
According to Purdon’s website, the site is zoned MU1 – mixed use – and is about 12,000 sqm in area.
Under the proposal, Mandala House (including the drug and alcohol misuse program We Help Ourselves, or WHOS) would be retained.
Purdon’s website also states that WHOS would be managed directly by the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, rather than through Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD).
The aged St John of God Hospital building would be demolished and that area of the site redeveloped, while the Marion Wing would be converted into a motel.
According to Purdon it was “not possible to identify a sustainable use or tenant for the old hospital”.
The motel would feature single and double rooms, aimed at those staying at the nearby hospital and those on other short stays.
The draft plans state two internal “courtyard gardens” would be located off a central corridor, overlooked by the accommodation.
“Central to the proposal is the adaptive reuse of the existing medical centre as a boutique motel, retaining a familiar building while introducing a contemporary and economically sustainable use.”
There would also be shared amenities, including a conference space for businesses.
None of the buildings on the site are heritage listed.
A map showing what the site could look like if the proposal is given the green light. Image: Purdon.
One- and two-storey townhouses are also being designed for the site.
“Through selective demolition, the development introduces 22 new single- and two-storey dwellings, arranged to reflect the fine grain and established residential character of the surrounding neighbourhood,” the documents state.
“The housing mix has been designed to accommodate a range of households, including families, downsizers and professionals, within a built form that is domestic in scale, well articulated and closely integrated with landscaped open space.
Feedback will be used to inform a development application (DA), and a summary will also be released in a public report.
The DA is expected to be lodged later this year for the site, which is owned by the Trustees of the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
“Collectively, the proposal seeks to honour the site’s legacy of care and service, while delivering a contemporary, well-considered development that responds to current housing needs and contributes positively to Goulburn’s evolving social fabric,” the planning document states.
The draft plans can be downloaded from Purdon’s website.
The community can speak with the project planning team at a meeting between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm on 12 February. It will be held at the Goulburn Soldiers Club, 15 Market Street.
People can also complete an online form until 11:59 pm on 22 February.
