INGENIA Lifestyle CEO John Carfi said the construction of a 30,000-capacity live music venue next door to a new over-55 residential community in Morisset is a "positive."
The first residents of the resort-style Ingenia Lifestyle Archers Run will begin moving in next month after the ribbon was cut on the Vision Centre last week.
The first stage of Archers Run will feature 40 new homes. Over the next decade, it is expected to become Australia's largest land lease community and swell to more than 600 homes.
Morisset and the nearby south-western Lake Macquarie suburbs of Wyee and Cooranbong have been identified as the Hunter's biggest growth area.
A major component of Morisset's future is Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie, a $235 million redevelopment of the former golf course into a concert amphitheatre capable of hosting major international music acts, as well as cafes, restaurants and an aquatic play park.
Cedar Mill owner Winarch Group sold the Archers Run site to Ingenia in 2020 for $30 million.
Asked if the Cedar Mill development and possible noise and traffic issues from major events could deter retirees from buying into Archers Run, Mr Carfi was adamant.
"Prior to commencing here, we did a lot of work on what the impact of that would be, and we set aside ourselves so we're able to provide detailed information to customers to give them comfort," Mr Carfi said.
"It certainly has encouraged people to buy that there are enough mitigates in place to manage all of that. In fact, most people see it as a positive bit of amenity for the area."
Ingenia Lifestyle has 29 over-55 residential developments along the Australian east coast, including communities in Cessnock, Fullerton Cove, Bobs Farm and Nelson Bay.
In 2013 Ingenia opened The Grange in Morisset. The success of that project convinced the company that the suburb was worth further investment.
"We really like the area in terms of proximity to Sydney, the demographic, and the growth in the area nearby," Mr Carfi said.
"Ultimately, we follow the customer, and this is an area that has all the attributes that retirees and over-55s want to live near.
"So we follow the area. Morisset has a great deal of positive attributes."
When complete, Archers Run will house an indoor and outdoor pool, social clubhouse, cinema, library, games room, bowling green and pickleball court.
Mr Carfi said building a community feel was the secret to making over-55 living appealing.
"Ultimately, they're buying hard real estate in a house, but they're putting their faith in you to deliver that hard infrastructure, and also the ongoing management, the curation of their life and comfort from here on," he said.
"More importantly nowadays is that connectivity you create to their neighbours and how they integrate and connect with each other.
"That's what people want. Otherwise, I'm sitting at home watching television. This way I'm in the clubhouse meeting up with Jim and Sally or in the men's shed tinkering with the car.
"It's the thing that you'd expect in a small village. That's what they want."
