Salvation Army sells historic church
EXCLUSIVE
The Salvation Army has sold a prominent Essendon church – Moonee Valley’s second oldest – to a local business identity planning to repurpose the holding as a residence.
At 880 Mt Alexander Road, on the north east corner of Buckley Street, the c1882 ex-South Essendon Methodist Church and halls, in recent years known as the Salvation Army Moonee Ponds Corp Centre, is collecting about $6 million after being offered for the first time.
Also fronting Nicholson St, near the suburb’s Windy Hill, the site spreads 2714 square metres with two overgrown tennis courts used to park about 20 car parks.
Zoned General Residential, any improvement won’t be able to rise more than two storeys over a basement.
Essendon is about 10 kilometres north west of Melbourne’s CBD.
Another Bomberland deal
Developed in 1882 by Evander McIvor, also behind the Brunswick Town Hall and Flemington and Kensington Town Hall, with transepts added in 1911, the Essendon church, in Early English Gothic style, contains 941 sqm (story continues below).

NSL Property Group’s Guy Naselli was the agent; the campaign targeted occupiers, investors and developers in the commercial, essential services and not-for-profit fields.
The buyer, a local businessman, isn’t planning to subdivide and sell-down portions of the site facing main roads, he said.
The deal comes four months since Woolworths acquired Niddrie Central – actually in Essendon – at the south east corner of Keilor and Hoffman roads.
In 2022, meanwhile, in the pocket, the Essendon Football Club purchased a home converted medical clinic with plans to build a larger healthcare asset it will hold as an investment.
Three years ago, Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School expanded its pile in the suburb, with a Napier St shop.
More to come.
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