Canberra surgeon Dr Amir Butt proposes medical centre on site of former Turner childcare

The development would replace a former childcare centre on 12 Watson Street, Turner.

Dr Amir Butt has submitted a development application for the site, which he purchased for $5 million in October 2022, CoreLogic records show.

The 1277-square-metre block is on the corner of Watson Street and McKay Gardens, with the Canberra Seniors Centre to the south and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the north.

The site previously housed a Goodstart early learning centre, which closed during 2022.

The surgeon has proposed to demolish the childcare centre and construct a four-storey medical and mixed-use development.

The application also seeks to modify the lease clause to allow for a medical centre.

Documents state the facility would provide a range of health care services, including "medical and minor surgical treatments to out-patients only".

An "in-house" pharmacy, small cafe and two offices are also proposed, plus parking for 40 cars across the ground floor and level two.

The total cost of works is about $5.1 million, the application states.

Dr Butt said the centre would allow him to "consolidate and centralise" his medical practice, which is currently spread across four different clinics and North Canberra Hospital.

"I would bring everything [to] one floor and it would be better for the patients too because they can get hold of me anytime, or my staff," he said.

"I'll have my own dedicated nurses and my own receptionist so we can provide better care to the patient."

It would also provide a dedicated space for Dr Butt to conduct minor surgeries and procedures under local anesthetic, giving his patients an alternative to private hospital treatments.

While acknowledging the development was still in an early phase, Dr Butt said he intended to occupy the top level of the development and rent out the remaining levels.

The top floor would include consulting rooms, operating theatres and recovery and pre-op rooms, the application states.

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Following development approval, Dr Butt said he would seek out other medical practices, such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, to lease the spaces.

As part of the application, a traffic report was submitted which found the proposed development would generate "relatively modest" levels of traffic.

It found the development proposal was "consistent with land use planning" and would not have a negative effect on existing transport infrastructure.

Public representations on the development application close on October 12.

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