Marian College project 'moving ahead'

Activity is also expected to start on Macarthur Grange’s plans for a brewery at South Goulburn later this year although the company is keeping mum at this stage.

Sydney developer Nicholas Daoud bought the expansive former Catholic school property in March, 2014, drawn by its history and possibilities. 

In December that year he won unanimous council conditional approval for a $17 million project, transforming the site into 17 residential villas, 96 serviced apartments in a new building fronting Clinton Street, a 216 square metre restaurant and a conference centre. The historic chapel and main administration buildings were to be retained but 11 structures demolished.

While caretakers have been living on the property and some repairs undertaken, little else has happened on the site.

But Mr Daoud said several factors had delayed the project.

“We had to do a lot of assessment on what we wanted to deliver following the DA approval, what it would look like and what was to be demolished so that everything was in place for the contractor,” he said.

Preliminary work on a subdivision had also consumed time. But another of Mr Daoud’s projects, the multi-storey Crown commercial development in Wollongong’s CBD had also eaten up much of his time.

“That will take another three months to complete and our aim is to start work in Goulburn after Easter,” he said.

The 17 residential villas will be first off the blocks, for a Christmas completion. Demolition of buildings, including an old classroom block off Bourke Street, will begin while this is underway.  

Mr Daoud said much of the work would happen simultaneously; the serviced apartments, for example, would begin while the villas were being constructed.

“We won’t be stopping and starting. It will flow,” he said.

Mr Daoud said Goulburn was lacking a decent supply of serviced apartments and in that respect, the project was something new for the city. Already, parties had approached his company about operating them.

“It will be something modern for Goulburn, which will cater for people who may have someone staying in hospital, for example,” he told The Post.

“...It’s not a job for beginners; we have done this before.”

Mr Daoud bought the former secondary school site from the Sisters of Mercy.

Mayor Bob Kirk said he and council general manager Warwick Bennett met with Mr Daoud before Christmas for a project update.