Uniting sells Montmorency ex-church, kindergarten
A community group has outbid developers for a Montmorency ex-church and kindergarten offered by a Uniting trust after 40 years.
The 1924 square metre site, 1-3 Mountain View Road, at the north west corner of Rattray, was offered permit-ready for a 63-place childcare centre.
CVA agents David Napoleone and Daniel Philip said while plenty of buyers intended that use – seven bidders had different development outcomes when an expressions of interest campaign closed on December 10.
It traded a week later for $2.168 million – c20 per cent over guide.
Montmorency’s ex-St Andrew’s Church will stay open to the public
Until five years ago, 1-3 Mountain View Road accommodated St Andrew’s Church and St Andrew’s Uniting Church Kindergarten.
For nearly 50 years after 1930, it housed St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (story continues below).
The property is configured with a 216 sqm house of worship, 263 sqm school building, landscaped playground with shade area and paved parking.
The incoming owner will refurbish the improvements into a community centre – foregoing plans for a single-storey child minding complex with multiple rooms, four outdoor areas and 13 car parks.
Zoned Neighbourhood Residential 3, about 450 metres from Montmorency train station and Were St retail strip, the holding was also marketed to townhouse builders, healthcare groups and organisations intending to re-use the site as a church.
The suburb is 18 kilometres north east of Melbourne.
Elsewhere in the city, Uniting in October listed another ex-kindergarten in Prahran and a former social services centre near it, at Windsor.
Last June the not-for-profit sold its 52 year old headquarters at 130 Little Collins St for more than $40m to Golden Age Group which in August won permission to replace it with a 27-storey office.
