- Aruma acting COO said the organisation has "outgrown the site"
- Belrose site dates back to 1965 with, then, House with No Steps
- Expects offers in excess of $20 million
Leading disability service provider, Aruma, has listed its Frenchs Forest head office site.
The dual frontage, 10,170 square metre site is located at 49 Blackbutts Road and 21A Warili Road, Frenchs Forest, in New South Wales’ Northern Beaches.
Expecting to fetch in excess of $20 million, the property features R2 Low Density Residential zoning with an 8.5 metre height limit and has dual street frontages, extensive boundaries and a gentle slope from north to south with the opportunity to unlock extensive district and Sydney CBD views.
“Placed on an incredibly rare, large and expansive residential land holding, this site sits in a peaceful residential suburban setting on Sydney’s renowned Northern Beaches, and provides a fantastic opportunity to create a development that fits in with the unique Frenchs Forest landscape and the local community,” said Colliers‘ Henry Burke.
“Located opposite the recently upgraded Frenchs Forest Showground in an area that is serviced by an abundance of retail, cultural and public amenity, we expect interest from a range of development groups to be strong, given the demand for residential housing and aged care living on the Northern Beaches,” Colliers’ Eugene White added.
The site dates back to the mid-sixties, when founder of disability service provider House with No Steps, Lionel Watts, lobbied the New South Wales Government in 1965 for a land grant in the Belrose area to grow his organisation.
In 2018, House with No Steps came together with another provider, The Tipping Foundation, to form Aruma. Aruma now supports over 5,000 people with a disability in Queensland, New South Wales, ACT and Victoria.
The sale comes as Aruma continues to grow. Aruma’s acting Chief Operating Officer, Tiffany Roxburgh said the organisation is focused on creating purpose-designed spaces that meet the diverse needs of the company’s customers and staff.
“It is not surprising that after almost 60 years at Belrose, we have outgrown the site, and the buildings are no longer fit for purpose,” said Ms Roxburgh.
“We want to ensure we’re investing the funds from the sale back into options that best support our customers and staff.”
“Our investment will be supporting people with a disability in New South Wales, providing fit for purpose, modern and tech-enabled spaces for our customers, and for our staff. We’re fully committed to creating more inclusive and accessible places to work, live and visit.”
Mrs Roxburgh said the site will be listed for sale from 19 September 2022. Staff, customers, and local residents are being kept informed of the changes.
