Construction of Rosewood Care Group’s aged care facility in Leederville will begin next week, after two years of delays, following the award of a $36 million construction contract to Pindan.
Rosewood Care Group chief executive Mario Zulberti said delays had been caused by technical issues, including designing a 2,000 square metre basement car park in the high watertable area and ensuring it met all council and building requirements.
Mr Zulberti said he had worked with Pindan since October, when it was unofficially chosen as the builder from the five companies that tendered.
Negotiations between Rosewood Care Group and Pindan were held to identify cost reductions for the project, which has already cost Rosewood Care Group $3.5 million due to delays.
Pindan director of business development, Scott Davison, said his company was chosen because of its strong record in constructing aged care and senior housing developments, for which it has won three awards.
Pindan recently completed a $7 million renovation and extension of the Melville aged care facility for Aegis Aged Care Group.
It is also constructing the Ray Village aged care facility in Busselton and Yaandina aged care facility in Roebourne.
The 12,500sqm Rosewood Care Group Leederville facility will have 120 beds.
Rosewood Care Group currently operates a West Perth aged care facility with 52 beds, and in the latest round of Commonwealth aged care funding received 100 provisional allocation licences for its West Perth site, which it is seeking to redevelop once the Leederville facility is completed.
“We’re currently undertaking a study to determine what is the best use of that land and we’re looking at a range of residential as well as aged care (options) within the seniors market,” Mr Zulberti said.
Rosewood Care Group bought the Leederville site in the 1970s and operated an aged care residential and community facility for people requiring only low level care until 2012, when the building’s age and lack of facilities required its closure and demolition.
Rosewood Care Group will have 272 aged care beds once both the Leederville and West Perth facilities have been redeveloped.
“We intend to remain on those two locations and see no need to go into any bigger expansion beyond that,” Mr Zulberti said.
