DEVELOPERS want to stick 52 homes on land once earmarked for an innovation park in Kennington.
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Developers have unveiled plans to transform 1.05 hectares of land near Strath Village into double-storey townhouse lots.
The project would be the final nail in the coffin of an ambitious vision.
Some had previously hoped the land would bring the nearby La Trobe University campus together with businesses to create an innovative "knowledge industry hub".
That idea kicked into gear a few decades ago but eventually proved to be a flop.
Only Bendigo Community Telco moved in and the rest of the land bordering Innovation Court remained idle.
Developers need the City of Greater Bendigo's support to subdivide and rezone land at 1 Innovation Court into a medium-density development.
The land lines the southern side of Innovation Court and butts up with Edwards Road to the west, close to schools, the university and a public pool.
Nine of the homes would have four bedrooms and 21 would have three bedrooms.
Another 22 would have two bedrooms.
"In particular, the development will incorporate dwellings with less than three bedrooms and low maintenance lots to meet the needs of the ageing population and for student accommodation," developers said.
The land is currently zoned for commercial use.
Developers' economic consultants expected no commercial land shortages in the area over the next three decades, should the subdivision go ahead.
The council will consider two different parts of the plan at the same time. One is the planning application and the other is an application to rezone the land for residential uses.
Turning the land into a "residential growth zone" would make expectations around development clearer, according to the draft planning scheme amendment documents linked to the planning application.
Victoria's planning minister would eventually need to sign off on rezoning the land.
The council has not started a rezoning push, although the developers' request would be a logical first step.
The process would likely require detailed consultations including from councillors, members of the public, government agencies and an independent planning panel.
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