Urbanistik plans to develop retirement village, aged care facility on historic Gungahlin Homestead site

Developer Urbanistik will hold consultation with the public at the historic homestead on Saturday.

It is only the third time the site has been opened up in more than 100 years.

Hidden away behind "majestic" trees, the 36-hectare estate nestled between Barton Highway and Bellenden Road is a mystery to most Canberrans, Urbanistik general manager Clare Gilligan said.

"This is a site that thousands of people, including myself, have driven past a million times and never looked at. The homestead itself is completely hidden from public view by very mature, majestic trees, so I think most of Canberra won't even know that this building exists," she said.

The concept plans put forward by the developer include a variety of dwelling types, ranging from independent living houses, low-maintenance apartments, and high-care facilities, to be set out in a series of small neighbourhoods.

These neighbourhoods would be connected by a network of pedestrian paths, community gardens and orchards, parklands, recreation and entertainment areas.

The plan also features recycled water and waste management and green energy.

Gungahlin Homestead was built by William Davis in 1862, with an extension added by Edward Crace in 1877.

It was acquired by the federal government because of its historic significance and has been used by the CSIRO as a scientific wildlife research station since 1953.

The site was sold to a private owner in 2002 and has been leased to CSIRO since, with that lease due to expire in 2023.

The owners are "a group of locals", Ms Gilligan said, rather than a single corporation.

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Ms Gilligan said the developers are still "exploring" what to do with the site, but they would look to restore the homestead.

"Certainly we would be looking to restore the homestead," she said. "Ideally, it would have some sort of community use ... possibly a place for people to have dinner, afternoon tea ... community rooms."

The total number of dwellings has also not yet been established.

"We don't really know because we're at the start of the process where we're really just exploring is the use appropriate," Ms Gilligan said.

"But it is a 36-hectare site in total, so we would be seeing it as being a substantive retirement community."

The plans will take a "design for country" approach, preserving ecological landmarks on the site and incorporates concepts and ideas from Ngunnawal custodians.

"Part of our co-design process with local Ngunnawal people, is the creation of water on the site," Ms Gilligan said.

"At the moment, it doesn't have a river, it doesn't have a creek, it's got effectively, a dam, but it doesn't actually have its own water flow, per se.

"So part of being able to design in, would be around recycling and capturing water but [also] creating water bodies and water flows on the site.

"So that provides an aquaculture opportunity as well, but also provides for permanent water, water sources in the landscape that haven't existed."

Consultation on the proposal will be held at the Gungahlin Homestead site on November 19 from 11am to 3pm.

Urbanistik then expects to submit a land use proposal to the National Capital Authority in early 2023.

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