Keyton project will deliver 218 homes and restore heritage site
Keyton has started construction of VerSo Place in Vermont South, a retirement living community that will deliver 218 new homes for seniors in Melbourne’s east.
Once complete, the project will house more than 300 residents in a vertical community with a range of accommodation options, premium amenities and landscaped green spaces. First residents are due to move in during 2028.
The development will transform a long-dormant site into a new precinct in Vermont South. It will also create jobs during construction and ongoing local roles in village management, maintenance, and health and wellbeing services.
Ironside and local officials attend
Keyton marked the milestone at a sod-turning event attended by staff, builder Ironside, project partners, Federal Member for Deakin Matt Gregg MP and Whitehorse councillor Jarrod Gunn.
A former Australian Road Research Board heritage building on the site will be restored and used as the community’s central hub. Gunn said the project would rehabilitate a building with significant local heritage value.
According to Keyton, VerSo Place will add much-needed housing choice for older Australians in established suburbs. As a result, larger family homes may return to the market for younger families.
Jason Fitzgerald, Keyton’s head of development, called VerSo Place one of the most significant retirement living developments now underway in Victoria.
He said the community was designed around wellbeing, connection, sustainability and independence so residents can live active and fulfilling lives.
Meanwhile, acting chief executive Paul Martin said the project would support housing mobility across the broader community by adding high-quality downsizing options.
Matt Gregg MP said more housing choice for older people would help them stay connected to the people and places they value. He added that the project would also create more housing opportunities for families.
Gunn also pointed to the site’s immediate natural surrounds and the retention of high-value local trees. He said those features would support the vitality, sustainability and diversity of the local community.
Following completion, VerSo Place will combine new housing, restored heritage features and local services in one precinct for Melbourne’s east. Keyton expects the community to make a positive contribution to the local area for decades.
