The Block 2027 will transform three heritage buildings at Jacksons Hill in Sunbury into five competition homes and a separate All Stars renovation.
The Block’s 2027 plans are already facing headwinds after the discovery of repeated instances of water damage and sub-floor issues at the ex-mental asylum bought earlier this month.
New planning documents have revealed the show is intending to respond by adding a pool to each of the six homes to be built into the Sunbury Mental Hospital at Jacksons Hill that sat vacant for 15 years.
The files lodged with Heritage Victoria last week have also revealed the contestants won’t be getting a level playing field, with a 97sq m gap bigger than many apartments between the biggest and smallest homes.
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Their planned House 4 would span about 615sq m once a proposed pavilion and garage are added, while House 3 would total about 518sq m.
House 5 would sit on the biggest allotment at about 4312sq m, including outdoor space.
The plans form part of a heritage permit application and are not final.
But the documents provide the clearest picture yet of what contestants could face when The Block starts work in the new year.
Nine has confirmed five new teams will renovate three heritage buildings, proposed to be split into six residences.
House 6 will be tackled by returning favourites for a spin-off The Block: The House Next Door.
The former Sunbury Mental Hospital buildings at Jacksons Hill will be divided into six residences under plans lodged for The Block 2027.
House 1 would total about 538sq m and receive the biggest new pavilion of the five competition homes at about 110sq m, plus a swimming pool.
If the Heritage application proves successful, House 1 would total about 538sq m, House 2 about 542sq m, House 3 about 518sq m, House 4 about 615sq m and House 5 about 577sq m.
All five competition homes are proposed to receive swimming pools and new single-storey pavilions containing contemporary living spaces.
House 1’s addition would be the largest at about 110sq m, followed by House 3 at 99sq m, House 5 at 93sq m and House 2 at 91sq m.
House 4, despite becoming the largest home overall, would receive the smallest pavilion at about 45sq m.
House 2 is proposed at about 542sq m overall, including a 91sq m new pavilion, with a swimming pool planned beside the heritage home.
The Block 2027 will take over part of Jacksons Hill in Sunbury, where three historic former hospital buildings are set for a major residential transformation.
House 3 also faces one of the more significant heritage changes, with its pavilion proposed on the site of a 1935 dining room that would be demolished.
But the proposal has also prompted concern about whether part of Jacksons Hill should permanently become private housing.
In a letter dated September 24, Hume mayor Carly Moore told Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny many residents had questioned whether the proposal aligned with the intent of the 2018 Jacksons Hill Master Plan.
Cr Moore said Hume supported investment in the site and restoration of its heritage buildings, but warned the proposed conversion could “permanently remove opportunities for community, cultural or public uses”.
Hume mayor Carly Moore has raised concerns about permanently converting part of Jacksons Hill into private housing and has sought talks over the precinct’s future.
House 3 would total about 518sq m, with its 99sq m pavilion proposed on the site of a 1935 dining room slated for demolition.
She requested a meeting with the minister about the application and the future of the broader precinct.
The separate All Stars renovation would be a different proposition again.
House 6 would total about 302sq m including its carport, with no new pavilion or swimming pool proposed. The latest architectural plans instead show an in-ground spa.
Former Block winner and architect Steph Ottavio says having experienced All Stars renovating alongside first-time contestants could make the 2027 challenge even more overwhelming. Picture: Instagram/stephjootatvio
Former Block winner and architect Steph Ottavio previously told the Herald Sun the contrast between experienced renovators and first-time contestants could become part of the spectacle.
“I think having the two is pretty genius,” Ms Ottavio said.
But she warned the returning stars could also add pressure.
House 4 would become the biggest of The Block 2027 competition homes at about 615sq m, despite receiving the smallest new pavilion at about 45sq m.
“When you’re doing it, you’re just so overwhelmed with your task. It’s hard to be inspired on the go,” she said.
“If anything, it might be a bit overwhelming having All Stars there.”
The contestants will also inherit problems that go well beyond styling, stone choices and room reveals.
Investigations found poor or effectively non-existent subfloor clearance in parts of the buildings, inadequate ventilation and repeated water ingress linked to gutters and downpipes.
In some areas, about 100-300mm of soil could need to be excavated beneath existing floors to create enough clearance for ventilation and new services.
House 5 would sit on the biggest competition allotment at about 4312sq m and total about 577sq m once its pavilion and garage are included.
House 6 is the separate All Stars renovation, with plans showing a much smaller 302sq m proposition and an in-ground spa instead of the pools proposed for Houses 1-5.
The heritage assessment says the three buildings had been vacant for more than 15 years and were in poor condition because of neglect, vandalism, vermin and water ingress.
Existing flooring may also need to be removed across substantial areas, potentially in full, before suitable original material is salvaged and reinstated.
Nine has described the 2027 season as the most ambitious project in The Block’s history.
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