When St Peter’s Catholic Church in Melbourne’s Toorak faced urgent repairs the parishioners turned to property development to fund its $10 million renovation costs. The result is The Benson (pictured), a retirement village built next to the 84 year old sandstone church.

The project has been headed up by parishioner of 50 years John Ralph, former CEO of CRA (now Rio Tinto Ltd), former Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and former Deputy Chairman of Telstra Corporation. Mr Ralph heads up the parish’s renewal and development committee along with parish priest Father Brendan Hayes.

 

The 33 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments at The Benson  are priced from just under $1 million to up to $4 million for the two penthouses and are located in the heart of Toorak with easy access to cafes, restaurants, shops and public gardens with close proximity to Melbourne CBD and arts precinct.

Designed by Demaine Partnership and built by Buxton Construction, the village has an on-site concierge to help manage residents’ day-to-day needs, such as travel bookings, pet care, booking appointments and arranging prescriptions, plus in-home care services provided by Villa Maria Catholic Homes.