A SYMBOLIC ground-breaking ceremony was conducted last Tuesday for the Avon Community Development Foundation's (ACDF) Mortlock Gardens, a $4.1 million housing precinct for key personnel.
The site is located on a 1.5 hectare block between Katrine and Springfield roads.
The project comes after four years of negotiations and will see 15 standalone residential dwellings built in the first stage with a mix of three, two and one-bedroom units.
They will be built on the eastern end of the parcel of land, towards Goomalling Road, taking up around 40 per cent of the site.
The project is being administered by Benchmark Projects Australasia and the design and construction contract let to WA Country Builders.
The idea for the precinct first emerged during negotiations with the Department of Regional Development in October 2010 and continued since then.
Through the Departments of Regional Development and Housing, a Royalties for Regions Grant of $3.6m was approved in January this year.
Building costs will total almost $3m with the remainder of the project cost being taken up developing and landscaping the site.
ACDF bought the land for $550,000.
With a building permit secured, groundwork will commence in the next couple of weeks.
In February next year it is hoped a property manager contract will be secured.
The Mortlock Gardens are expected to be completed by November 1 next year.
