A PROPOSED new medical facility for Wodonga has reached an important milestone, with the development application (DA) for the $60m project receiving city council approval, bringing it a step closer to construction.

LAWD were engaged by Criterion Property Group (Criterion) late last year to advise on potential uses for the site and introduce potential partners. This work was completed, and a Heads of Agreement was signed between Criterion and the medical facility operator in November 2022.

The 103-bed hospital facility at “The Quarter”, on Stanley Street in Wodonga’s CBD, is urgently needed in Victoria’s fastest-growing regional city and will deliver sub-acute care, focusing on rehabilitation, geriatric evaluation and management, and palliative and psychogeriatric care to optimise a patient’s functioning and quality of life.

Design of the four-storey hospital on the 7,300m² site commenced in November 2022, with Criterion in regular communication and consultation with the Wodonga City Council in partnership with a proven operator that has a planned rollout of similar facilities across the east coast of Australia and in South Australia. Their research showed there was significant demand for this type of facility in the area.

“The Quarter” is a mixed-use development by Criterion, which includes 28 luxury residential apartments and 4,000m² of retail and commercial suites that can be configured flexibly for a variety of uses.

With the greenlight from Wodonga City Council, hospital construction is forecast to commence late this year or early 2024 and expected to take 18 months. The adjacent stages, including commercial, retail, medical and residential will also be undertaken by Criterion, with a ground-breaking ceremony to be held in coming weeks. LAWD is pleased to be coordinating sales and leasing agents for the commercial, retail, and medical stages of the project.

Criterion founder and Director, John Mooney, said the patient-centred care facility will deliver a superior hotel-type experience, and bring more visitors to the city centre, further supporting local businesses.

“The development will bring a state-of-the-art hospital facility to the centre of town at a time when the area is suffering from a healthcare services shortfall,” Mr Mooney said.

“We believe it will deliver significant benefits to the local community in any number of different ways including creating up to 250 new jobs once fully operational.”

LAWD Director Transactions and Advisory, Andrew Graham, who represented Criterion in the transaction, said it was a significant moment for the Wodonga community to see progress on this long-vacant land for community good.

“The hospital occupier was attracted to the Wodonga area due to the undersupply of quality healthcare services in the broader catchment, its central site position and a quicker planning pathway than what is currently available in New South Wales,” Mr Graham said.

“Accordingly, the transaction was completed relatively quickly and there has already been strong interest in the remaining commercial and medical components within The Quarter project.

“The hospital should now consolidate this part of the CBD into an important service hub.”

The greenfield medical facility will fill the gap in the market for sub-acute or post-operative care, which is currently a challenge due to public hospitals looking to minimise the length of stays and other surgical facilities lacking longer-term recovery options.