McKellar shops site to be auctioned with approved development application

The vacant McKellar shops site, complete with an approved development application, will be auctioned on Wednesday.

A mixed-use development comprising 22 apartments and six ground floor commercial units, including a supermarket, has been approved for the 2145-square-metre site at 2 Bennetts Close.

Civium Property Group agent Dania Khalil is managing the sale and the commercial leases.

She said the commercial tenancies would be suitable for local amenities such as a newsagency, chemist, cafe or restaurant.

Ms Khalil said the suburb has been without a supermarket since 2012.

The development application was lodged with the ACT Planning and Land Authority in 2016.

It was the second time plans for a mixed-use commercial development were lodged with the government. A similar approved DA lodged almost five years prior had expired.

In March 2016, developers Bennetts Close Pty Ltd said the new building would take between 12 to 18 months to complete once it was given the green light.

However, the partnership disbanded and the remaining owner has refocused his attention on a Sydney development.

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The application outlined plans for a three-storey building designed by TT Architecture, with an aim to keep the overall height of the building “as low as practical for a three-storey building”.

“It’s very well integrated into the existing area and the facilities that are around the neighbourhood centre,” architect Peter Overton said.

“It’s close to the park and the pedestrian routes to playing fields.”

He said the product mix, which includes one and two-bedroom apartments, was ideal for both downsizers and first home buyers.

McKellar Court will include 22 units. Photo: Supplied

“There’s lift access to both levels and there are two adaptable units, suitable for older buyers or those with a disability,” Mr Overton said.

Mr Overton said the plans also included recreation rooms, ideal for a gym or multi-function spaces, while a void on the top floor provided space for gardening.

The commercial units range from 76 square metres and the largest is the 591.5-square-metre supermarket tenancy.

The site will be auctioned at 11am on Wednesday at the Civium Property Group office in Phillip and the buyers will be able to commence construction immediately.