First residents move in as Geelong’s Stella Maris waterfront apartments complete – realestate.com.au

The first residents have moved in and are enjoying the amenities offered at the Stella Maris residential development in Rippleside.

To date, 80 per cent of the development’s 53 luxury waterfront homes have been sold off-plan, with the remaining properties due to hit the market this summer with John Moran of Whitford Property and Jodie Bliss Real Estate.

The project from Melbourne-based developer Monno – which is backed by Geelong businessman Robert Costa – is living up to expectations as a landmark waterfront residential address, even as workers were busy putting the finishing touches on it.

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The four components of the Stella Maris masterplan are built around heritage-listed trees on the historic Rippleside site.

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The vision to transform the 1848 St. Helens mansion – one of the last remaining pre-Gold Rush Geelong farms and also the Stella Maris Monastery of the Sisters of Mercy – into a luxury community has clearly come to fruition.

An exclusive tour of the development with Monno director Geno Hubay and Rothelowman director Chris Exner and senior associate Nick Williams puts the 1.2 hectare site into perspective.

There’s so much to see beyond the quality apartments with 10-foot ceilings and high-end finishes, whether you’re looking out from the 12-foot-tall third-floor window of a Park Row townhouse across the center of the community, across a wide paved area of ​​gardens and a wellness center with a swimming pool, gym and steam room, or through the central spaces of Nautica House.

The high-quality finishes in the homes, such as stone kitchen benches and splashbacks, are used in the apartments in the development.

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Lush views are available in all directions.

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The ground floor apartments have a garden overlooking the bay.

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Every sight line has been considered and at every level there is a glimpse of the bay or the monumental trees.

Residents will enjoy the relative peace now that most of the heavy construction work is behind them.

Although the workers will return next year when the St Helens mansion is redeveloped as a private residence, which will be sold separately.

The project surprised the architects because it has developed into a building site, with bay window glimpses and sight lines that are even more personally designed on paper.

“I think the master plan as a whole, how the buildings actually fit quite comfortably around the old homestead and around the trees and the way you move through the site just feels natural. You know, nothing seems forced,” Mr Exner said.

High ceilings of 3 meters contribute to the feeling of space in the homes.

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A large bedroom suite also overlooks the water.

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An oak tree is a substantial feature for rooms that face inwards.

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“We can look at the level of finish and the way the details are worked out. But we don’t want to lose sight of when you look back at the whole master plan and go, you know what, the whole thing just works.”

Mr Hubay said he was amazed that 80 percent of the homes had been sold, including a record sale of $5.95 million, in a market at that price. Geelong buyers generally don’t buy out of the plan.

“It turned out better than we could have imagined, the quality,” he said.

“We always compare with the original renders, but the final results are better.”

Mr Hubay said the project was the best residential project Geelong had ever seen.

“It is a benchmark that simply will not be repeated – from its irreplaceable waterfront location to the depth of design thinking behind each home.”