Barwon River cluster grows as Newtown milk site listed for sale
A 2.79ha property at 30 Bloomsbury St, Newtown, is a key development site on the north bank of the Barwon River.
A new development site has emerged on the north bank of the Barwon River at Newtown with the listing for sale of a former milk factory.
The 2.79ha site at 30 Bloomsbury St has been listed for sale offering a substantial frontage to the Barwon River and a mixed use zoning designed to entice residential development in the former industrial heartland.
The property is expected to attract interest of more than $15m in an expressions of interest campaign closing in June.
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The 2.79ha site at 30 Bloombury St, Newtown, near the Macintyre Bridge, has been listed for sale. The mixed use site is a key development site on the north bank of the Barwon River.
Newtown has emerged as one of the biggest in-fill development corridors outside of Geelong’s CBD, with more than 400 dwellings approved, including more than 300 apartments in two separate riverfront projects.
Colliers Geelong agents Ben Young and Chris Nanni have been appointed to manage the sale of the land, which presents a chance for developers to plan a landmark project.
“The site’s expansive 210 metres of frontage to the Barwon River and parkland with sweeping views over the river offer unlimited potential for a visionary developer to shape the next chapter of this premium location,” Mr Young said
There’s a number of options for developers to consider for the site, not limited to residential development, he said.
The 2.79ha site offers mixed use development opportunities on the north bank of the Barwon River.
An artist’s render shows an approved Newtown residential project designed by GKA Architects with 57 apartments and 17 townhouses.
“I expect it to gain strong interest based on Newtown being the premium suburb that it is and you’ve got the magnificent outlook over the Barwon River.”
The mixed use zoning was designed to encourage higher density development in the suburb’s industrial heartland once dominated by woollen mills, Mr Young said.
Leading economist Brian Haratsis has said Newtown’s industrial precinct has the ingredients to become the epicentre of a business cluster that sparks a property boom.
“Newtown is witnessing the emergence of professional clusters, a phenomenon that historically catalyses a surge in mixed-use developments, including food and beverage establishments, retail outlets, offices, and residential spaces,” Mr Haratsis said in 2024.
More than 300 apartments are approved in a mixed use development at 403 Pakington St, Newtown. That property, with approved permits, is also for sale.
Barwon Business Park is a commercial development at the western end of the Newtown arm of the Barwon River.
The location is one of the most compelling opportunities available on the market, Mr Nanni said.
“Its proximity to key amenities and the future potential of the area makes it a prime site for development,” Mr Nanni said.
“The property is ideally suited to a wide range of end uses including residential, commercial, hospitality, or an integrated combination and we are expecting this property will attract leading developers who are eager to be part of the city’s exciting transformation.”
The industrial facilities on the site are leased, providing a holding income.
The property is adjacent to Sladen House and near the National Trust home, Barwon Grange.
Hamilton Group’s Woolstores development is adjacent at the river end of Pakington St, and nearby a mammoth 343 dwelling mixed use development of the former Returned Sailors and Soldiers Woollen Mill site, and a $90m riverside development with 57 apartments and 17 townhouses recently approved at 510 Latrobe Blvd.
