Freemasons to be redeveloped as Epworth continues to develop
Epworth HealthCare is about to embark upon a large-scale redevelopment of the Freemasons Hospital, providing a new state of the art Cancer Centre in the process.
The not-for-profit hospital has lodged plans with Melbourne City Council that would see the new centre provide a single point of care facility for patients within the East Melbourne Health and Knowledge Precinct. Epworth Freemasons emerges as the finishing touches are applied to major redevelopments of two additional Epworth facilities in both Richmond and Geelong.
Two new buildings are key to the Freemasons project, with one fronting Grey Street and the other Albert Street. Health architecture firm Silver Thomas Hanley is joined by John Wardle Architects for the design of the revamped Freemasons..
Demolition of the existing nurses quarters to Grey Street and the administration ‘flat’ building to Albert Street is expected, with a number of other services relocated to allow for the redevelopment.
Grey Street will host a ten storey facility dubbed the Grey Street Centre which will accommodate spaces for education/training, day procedure and theatre rooms, with the bulk of space absorbed by medical consulting suites. Lower levels of the building will be integrated with the existing Freemasons facility.
Albert Street on the other hand will present as a single level building, yet hold six levels of basement car parking for 309 vehicles below what will become an integrated patient drop off and primary hospital entrance point.
With an estimated cost of development valued at $53 million, Epworth Freemasons follows in the steps of two substantially larger developments underpinned by the healthcare provider.
Kane Constructions have freshly completed the first phase of Epworth Richmond's Erin Street development. Known as Lee Wing, the building is the first to front Erin Street in a project that when completed beyond 2020 will add an additional 96,000 sqm of Gross Building Area to the existing complex.
Whilst the Silver Thomas Hanley-designed scheme for the entire Epworth Richmond holds an estimated construction cost of $700 million, Lee Wing is valued at in excess of $120 million.
Lee Wing building features include a new Emergency Department, an Intensive Care Unit, new operating theatres, inpatient accommodation and new consulting suites above a five level basement car park with over 250 spaces.
Brookfiled Multiplex are also approaching the finishing line for Epworth Geelong. Located in Waurn Ponds the $447 million hospital will be developed over four stages with stage one set to be unveiled mid year.
In conjunction with nearby Deakin University the hospital will act as an extension to the education precinct, whilst also catering toward a host of medical applications. Clinical training for undergraduate/postgraduate medical, nursing and allied health students will be made available within the new hospital.
Epworth Geelong was listed as Victoria’s second largest building project in 2014 in terms of value of permits issued.
