FORMER KINDER FOR SALE

PROSPECTIVE buyers are playing with their building blocks to see how far they can take the old site of Highton’s kindergarten.

The 1012sq m Roslyn Rd property has hit the market after the City of Greater Geelong opened a $5.5 million childcare and health centre at nearby Bellaire Primary School this year.

The closure of the 60-yearold preschool has created a chance for commercial investors and developers to climb into the sand box and work out who will end up with the property, which McGrath, Geelong agent Jim Cross has valued between $950,000 and $1 million.

The property retains its secure, childproof fencing, playground and planter boxes for vegetable gardens, while the building has a large activity room, kitchen, offices and classrooms.

Mr Cross said eight buyers had requested contracts in the first 10 days of the sales campaign.

He said the existing building could be reworked as a medical centre, offices or consulting rooms, but most interest was in the potential of the corner site.

“You can do a high-density residential development,” Mr Cross said.

“It’s ideal for a townhouse or apartment development. The beauty of the property is it’s on a corner location,” he said. “It’s in close proximity to Highton shopping village, and it’s very well known as an area for people wanting to downsize.”

Mr Cross said 70 per cent of interested buyers were looking at the site’s residential development prospects.

“There is an opportunity to do a commercial office with residential apartments above and use it for a mixed-use development.”

Real Estate Institute of Victoria data shows Highton is a high-growth unit market. IT’S the fundraiser that has Rebecca Maddern seeing red … and it’s back, with Aussies urged to dig deep today to raise research funds and awareness into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Funds raised through Red Nose Day help provide safe sleeping education, research and bereavement support services for families impacted by the death of a child.

The fundraiser collected more than $1 million in 2018, with organisers hopeful their 31st year can help do even more to save little lives.

The Red Nose organisation this week announced it would fund and spearhead world-leading research to help meet its goal to reduce stillbirth rates in Australia by 20 per cent during the next five to 10 years.

For more information on Red Nose Day or to make a donation to the fundraiser, visit rednose.org.au