Sydney Uni to buy nurses' quarters for students - ABC Local

Posted May 30, 2013 11:49:59

The University of Sydney will spend $27 million to convert nurses' quarters at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital into student accommodation.

The Queen Mary Building, at Camperdown in Sydney's inner west, was opened in 1956 once housed nurses training and working at the hospital, but it has been vacant since 2002.

Last year the University of Sydney submitted an unsolicited proposal to develop the site, which occupies more than 5000m of prime real estate, and Premier Barry O'Farrell has agreed to sell it.

The Government says it is in the final stage of negotiations with the university, and work on the conversion of the site will begin by the end of the year.

Sydney University vice chancellor Michael Spence says there is a crisis in affordable student accommodation in the inner city, and the site will provide another 750 beds for students.

Mr O'Farrell told NSW Parliament the $27 million price is acceptable, and negotiations will begin on a binding contract.

"The Government will reinvest the proceeds in the Missenden mental health unit development at RPA," Mr O'Farrell said.

"The unit's 53 beds will provide much needed additional capacity in the inner city area."

Topics: university-and-further-education, state-parliament, housing, the-university-of-sydney-2006, sydney-2000, camperdown-2050