Heatherlie Homes chairman Charles Armitstead said it was currently developing concept plans for independent living units on the land and had not yet determined how many units it hoped to build on the property.

Heatherlie, a not-for-profit agency of the Uniting Church that provides independent living units for seniors, bought the land at 27-29 Princess Street in 2015 from Warrnambool’s St John’s Presbyterian Church.

The St John’s Bowls Club, which had a grass bowling green on the site, closed voluntarily in 2012 after years of dwindling membership.

Heatherlie also bought an adjoining block that fronts Manifold Street, in 2016.

Mr Armitstead said Heatherlie expected to use the adjoining block for car parking for the units but was still working through scenarios for both blocks.

He expected the accommodation built on the site would comprise one and two bedroom units and be similar to that which Heatherlie had built fronting Koroit Street and at Christ Church Close in Henna Street.

He said Heatherlie bought the bowls club land because it was within walking distance of the Warrnambool city centre, Mr Armitstead said.

He said Heatherlie was currently meeting the demand for independent living units for seniors with its 88 units at its two current sites but he was confident there would be demand for those at Princess Street by the time they were built.

The Princess Street units would be the sixth stage of development that Heatherlie had undertaken over the past 38 years, Mr Armitstead said.