Ballerina Shirley Jones offers Pascoe Vale South school after 60 years
It could be the end of an era in Pascoe Vale South with a row of four shops on Commercial 1 zoned land – amalgamated since 1962 to occupy as the Shirlene School of Classical Ballet – listed for sale.
The northern suburb institution founded by National Theatre Company ballerina Shirley Jones OAM who recently decided to retire, aged 81, has been closed for two terms given COVID-19 related social distancing and lockdowns.
Properties 9A-9D Anderson Street are now being offered with vacant possession; occupying 915 square metres, these have the potential to make way for a four-plus level mixed-use building with ground floor retail and a basement car park.
A neighbouring 610 sqm parcel gazetted General Residential, so with the potential to make way for a two storey structure, is also for sale.
Local agency sources speculate the five holdings could sell for a total of about $3 million and make way for about 40 flats and 1000 sqm of shopping area.
Colliers International’s Hamish Burgess and Joe Kairouz are the marketing agents.
Ballet school in new apartment hotspot
The ballet school is around the corner from Better Living Group’s 142-dwelling The Pasco, which five years ago replaced a fashion and design education facility at the north west corner of Cumberland Rd and Eastgate St (story continues below).
Three blocks east of that, developers recently won permission to rebuild 498-514 Bell St and 33 Westgate St with a mixed use village containing 113 apartments, 17 townhouses, 2539 sqm of ground floor retail, including a supermarket, and a 252-bay basement car park.
In 2017, a 1137 sqm site a little further east again – at 432-438 Bell St, at the north west corner of Hatter St – sold permit-ready for a four-level mixed use complex designed with 31 dwellings and ground floor shops (artist’s impression, right).
Shirlene School of Classical Ballet site amalgamated since 1962
After starting classes in 1960 for 33 locals in a scout hall at nearby Rogers Reserve, Ms Jones two years later acquired the first of the four adjoining Anderson St shops now on offer and established the Shirlene School of Classical Ballet.
In 1972 – reportedly having just paid off the first property – the neighbour, which was trading as a greengrocer, was purchased.
Ten years on, the next in the row was added and in 2002, another, creating a site covering the north west or of Westgate St.
In 2005, one of these studios was converted into a 100-seat theatre.
