Sunkin Inaugurates $500 Million Highett Master Plan

Melbourne-based Sunkin Property Group has broken ground on a $500 million+ mixed-use project at the former CSIRO site in Highett, one of Melbourne’s largest and most flexible infill development sites.

Following approval in March from Bayside City Council, Sunkin has appointed Delta Group in a multimillion-dollar contract that will see the civil contractor begin a one-year program currently underway.

More than $10 million will be invested in infrastructure for the large-scale project, including new roads, replacing the Melbourne drain and upgrading local services.

Delta Group chief executive Con Petropoulo said the group would lay the foundations, road and service infrastructure for the sprawling community development.

The project known as Park Village is one of the largest urban renewal projects in the Bayside area and will include 14 apartment buildings ranging from two to seven stories and providing 1,048 units.

Nearly half of the site will be redesigned into a new park, including a conservation reserve, which will be conserved and made accessible to the public.

The Clarke Hopkins Clarke designed development includes a range of house typologies aimed at enhancing the diversity of housing in the area.

A new public library is also proposed on the site along with a maternal and child health center and integrated wellness and fitness facilities including a gym, swimming pool and spa for residents.

Sunkin Property Group’s ambitious development application was approved in November 2021.

The first stage of the project includes two apartment buildings and a set of townhouses, all located adjacent to the proposed public park.

The project will commit to a low-carbon economy, with Sunkin targeting net zero results through environmentally responsible design practices.

Sunkin Property Group chief executive Lloyd Collins said the start of civil works was an important milestone for the project after the site sat idle for more than a decade.

The former research site underwent a $30 million cleanup before its sale after investigative work, at each successive stage, identified a significant level of asbestos in the ground in the northern part of the site.

Following the completion of the remediation work earlier this year, CSIRO deeded 3ha of the site to the community for conservation and an additional hectare to Bayside City Council for public open space.

“This development will be of tremendous benefit to the community due to improved infrastructure and additional amenities, including the new park and conservation area for the public to enjoy,” Collins said.

“It will also provide greater diversity of housing while accommodating the expected population growth in Melbourne and the Bayside area more specifically.”

▲ Located 20 km from Melbourne’s CBD, Park Village will be close to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Picture: Clarke Hopkins Clarke

Collins said its proximity to public transport and the Caulfield campus of Monash University also offered the developer the opportunity to integrate construction with rental, student housing and retirement living.

The rectangular 9.6ha site at 37 Graham Road in the southeastern suburb of Bayside was bought for $90million in July 2020.

The site, between the Nepean Highway and Port Phillip Bay, is south of the recently completed Woolworths Shopping Centre, as well as Highett Railway Station and the Highett Road shopping strip.

Sunkin Property Group is currently completing a $50 million premium residential project comprising 17 apartments and three penthouses near Brighton.

The developer owns a range of office, retail, leisure and residential development assets, including a commercial building at 509 St Kilda Road as well as the 200-room Novotel Melbourne hotel and Century City Walk entertainment center adjoining Glen Waverley.