Local Melbourne development firm Riverlee have welcomed the 1st residents to their New Epping urban renewal project with the completion of their stage 1 apartments. The project has been delivered in partnership with specialist affordable social housing group Haven; Home Safe.
The apartment tower is the 1st in a large scale mini-city development project for the ambitious developers, with plenty more to come as they plan to deliver a new suburb to Melbourne’s north. The 151 apartments are part of a masterplan that will see the former 51ha quarry site transformed into a vibrant suburb featuring parklands, offices, healthcare facilities, shops, housing, and hotels to the community.
New Epping was a vacant quarry site purchased back in 2015 for $14 million by architect Clement Lee, which sat next to the Pacific Epping Shopping Centre and Northern Hospital. Over time, further allotments were purchased to begin an amalgamation to turn the quarry and surrounding sites into a master planned community, dubbed New Epping.
In 2021, a development masterplan was released featuring a 7ha healthcare precinct, 110,000sqm of office space, and over 2000 homes, which was approved by the City of Whittlesea Council.
Riverlee’s project director Ben Rowe stated the arrival of residents into the Haven; Home Safe stage 1 was a vital milestone for the vision for the project.
“Riverlee’s partnership with Haven has allowed us to provide New Epping’s first residents with spacious and well-designed apartments,” he said.
“With a diverse and inclusive housing mix on the way, New Epping is set to become a city within the suburbs, where residents will enjoy access to regenerated green spaces, medical and commercial services, as well as neighbouring amenity like the Northern Hospital, Pacific Epping Shopping Centre and Costco.”
Australia is going through a rental crisis currently, with vacancy rates dropping to all-time low records around the nation. The influx of apartment projects such as Riverlee’s latest release will be a welcome addition for the Victorian government as they battle to bring affordable stock to local communities.
Lydia Wilson of the City of Whittlesea commended Riverlee’s vision for the masterplan and welcomed the addition of a major healthcare precinct and quality affordable housing options.
“With its challenging site conditions, the former Epping quarry has laid dormant for decades. Its transformation is something the entire community can look forward to,” Ms Wilson said.
Constructed by Hacer Group and designed by MGS Architects, the apartments were fast-tracked as part of the Victorian Government’s Building Victoria Recovery Taskforce. With the scale of the New Epping masterplan, along with their development pipeline around Melbourne, Riverlee are now one of the biggest private developers in Victoria.
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