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Work is set to begin this week on a major development which will help reinvigorate the Kogarah CBD, re- establish a vibrant Presbyterian Church and provide much-needed medical facilities in the area.

An initiative of The Presbyterian Church (New South Wales) Property Trust and its Kogarah congregation, the $25 million Kirk Place project will see a seven storey building constructed on the corner of Kensington and Derby streets, opposite the St George Public Hospital. The first sod will be turned in a ceremony on site on Wednesday morning.

Church spokesman Wayne Richards says Kirk Place is the Church’s biggest developmental undertaking since 1927 and therefore a significant milestone.

“The Presbyterian Church is very excited about this development, which is the first of five projects to be undertaken by our newly established major development division around the State,” he said.

“A lot of work has gone into determining the best use for the site while ensuring every development has ministry as its primary focus. That said it has been very encouraging to see exchanged sales of 31 per cent of the development – even before we have turned the first sod.”

Mr Richards, who is the General Manager of the Presbyterian Church in NSW, said the Church was
pleased to have come up with a solution to the challenge of having two Heritage-protected but disused buildings on a prime piece of land and a congregation which desperately needed modern new Church facilities.

“It couldn’t be more perfect,” he said. “With the Kirk Place project, we are not only breathing new life into a growing Kogarah congregation, but we are also doing our bit to help reinvigorate an important commercial space within the Kogarah CBD, while providing much needed space for members of the medical profession.”Currently meeting in the Carlton School of Arts, the congregation has grown dramatically since the appointment of the new minister, Steven Chong and there is an expectation that the Kogarah Church will, once again, become one of the largest in NSW.

The development includes three basement carparks, five levels of approximately 800 square metres of commercial medical suites which will be sold, as well as a Ground Floor and Plaza Level to be retained by the Church. The plans provide for up to 10 medical suites on each floor. The building will have two separate entrances – one off Kensington Street for the Commercial and Plaza suites, and the other off 1 Derby Street for the Church.

Mr Richards said both the original church, built in 1893 and later used as a hall; and the Soldiers
Memorial Church, built in 1923, were protected by Heritage orders and as such should not be
demolished. They have, however, been sold for commercial purposes and will form part of the
Kensington St main entrance to the new building.

The official Ground Breaking Ceremony for Kirk Place will be held on-site at the corner of Kensington
and Derby streets, Kogarah, on Wednesday April 2 at 10.30am.