Scopus buys Caulfield site for school and community centre

A centre for adult education, performing arts complex, and synagogue will form a new Jewish community hub to be built in the heart of Melbourne’s Jewish community.

Mount Scopus College has secured a $195 million site on the western perimeter of Caulfield Racecourse, and has promised the site will be used as a facility accessible to the community as well as the school.

The Centre for Jewish Life will offer a range of facilities for the broader Jewish community and local residents, including sports and wellbeing precincts and spaces for Jewish community organisations.

The new Mount Scopus Memorial College will also consolidate the Jewish school’s three existing campuses into a modern education experience for students from ELC to Year 12.

The 7.5-hectare site runs from Station Street to Glen Eira College and is owned by the Melbourne Racing Club, which currently uses it for car parking and stables. It is similar in size to the school’s main Gandel Campus in Burwood.

The new facility will be developed and run by the College and Scopus Foundation’s Project Generation initiative, which aims to ensure the continuity and strength of Melbourne’s Jewish community.

Construction will most likely take a staged approach, with the first facilities expected to be operational by 2030.

President of Scopus Foundation David Gold said securing the “strategically positioned” site was critical to the vision and legacy of the school, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.

“Project Generation delivers much more than a new campus; it will enable future generations of students to learn, grow and thrive in a safe and supportive environment, and will become an important hub for Jewish life in our state,” he said.

“We are grateful to the Victorian Government for its ongoing support, and Melbourne Racing Club for sharing our vision and being a constructive partner in achieving this exciting milestone.” 

President of Mount Scopus Memorial College Amy Hershan added: “This project represents an exciting new chapter for our school and community. As Mount Scopus celebrates its 75th anniversary, we have an opportunity to create something special for Melbourne’s Jewish community and ensure its continuity and strength long into the future.”

Consultation is underway and will continue over the next two years to ensure the new campus delivers on the needs and expectations of the community and stakeholders. It has already received bipartisan support at both state and federal levels.

The announcement replaces an earlier plan to establish a campus on the site of Caulfield Hospital.