News & Developments: Port Adelaide

[Wayno]

Fingers crossed the design team make this area useful all year round, day and night, come rain or shine. Not just a lawned kiddies park with attached tiny cafe. Also my experience with markets is they work for a while - til the novelty factor fades.

[Hooligan]

Does anyone know what they are building on the corner of Commercial Road and Baynes Place? (near the railway station)

[Port Adelaide Fan]

Does anyone know what they are building on the corner of Commercial Road and Baynes Place? (near the railway station)

Got told McDonald's.

[Hooligan]

oh...... well that's a let down.

i can understand Mcdonald's wanting to move to that location though seeing as there is plenty of traffic passing by plus passengers getting off the train.

[claybro]

oh...... well that's a let down.

i can understand Mcdonald's wanting to move to that location though seeing as there is plenty of traffic passing by plus passengers getting off the train.

I know we would all like something more exciting than McDonalds here, but the entrance to the Port still looks dark and down at heel. Maccas stores are at least always bright, cheerful with well maintained properties, and they still beleive in proper gardens...not the dead grass so loved by most developers. At least it will provide some 24/7 life in this location.

[neoballmon]

I seem to recall reading an article a couple of years ago that Maccas actually planned to build a bit further to the east at the corner of William St (where BCF was built) but there was local opposition due to a school nearby and it would attract young children. Which I think is the responsibility of the patents themselves, who ate most likely the NIMBYs in this case.

On another note, Port Canal Woolworths has closed down and Rite Price will be opening in the location next month. First instance of a Woolies I can think of closing down in my 6 years working retail!

[claybro]

On another note, Port Canal Woolworths has closed down and Rite Price will be opening in the location next month. First instance of a Woolies I can think of closing down in my 6 years working retail!

This is not good news for that mall. Not to sound like a snob, but this area already attracts more than its share of down on their luck types, and while Right Price offers a vital low cost alternative for the less well off,(trying to be polite) it will cement the already down and out atmosphere. The newer residents of the port will now have more reason not to shop in the port, but drive over to West Lakes.

[neoballmon]

The mall itself was still very busy with no supermarket, cafés were full and other minor retailers seemed to be doing alright.
I personally don't think it will affect the area too much, there's still a gigantic Coles right there and a large Foodland a 200ish meter walk away.
I'm not struggling financially, but I do enjoy heading down to my local Rite Price every Couple of months just to see what interesting stuff they have (although use by and best before dates mean virtually nothing to me). And from what I remember that Woolies was quite a low grade store anyway. Could even be a change for the better.

[Port Adelaide Fan]

The Woolworths was too small and they did ask the Port Canal if they could make it bigger they said no.

[Hooligan]

That Woolworths was horrible anyway. It didn't even have a proper deli section!

[claybro]

The Woolworths was too small and they did ask the Port Canal if they could make it bigger they said no.

Could this be true? If a company like Woolworths asked for more space, and the government is desperate to get developement in the Port happening, then why on earth did they not offer for Woolworths to expand into the building immediately behind which faces Dale street. A new strip of shops could have been developed down the lane side of Woolworths with a longer Woolworths stretching through from the Mall to Dale street, knock the mall right through with a frontage also on Dale Street. Would create more of a link from Kmart complex through to St Vincent Street, and more life in Dale street. That door, that leads out to the little side lane, which eventually comes out in Dale street. is a bit dodgy. But oh well, I suppose Right Price will do very well thankyou.

[Brucetiki]

That Woolworths was horrible anyway. It didn't even have a proper deli section!

Wasn't it a Franklins conversion when Woolies and Foodland bought out Franklins in the early 2000's, hence it being so small and lacking in basic supermarket facilities.

The old Colonnades Woolies was just as bad before the centre got revamped and the Woolies moved to it's current location.

[claybro]

Yes it started life as a Franklins back in the day.

[Phantom]

This is not good news for that mall. Not to sound like a snob, but this area already attracts more than its share of down on their luck types, and while Right Price offers a vital low cost alternative for the less well off,(trying to be polite) it will cement the already down and out atmosphere. The newer residents of the port will now have more reason not to shop in the port, but drive over to West Lakes.

Completely agree, Claybro. As someone who had the... Ahem... "Pleasure"... Of working at the Foodland in Port Adelaide for a year, I have to say that Port Adelaide as a whole seems to be in absolute dire straits. Something urgent needs to be done with it. The government seems to be happy enough paving over the cracks constantly in the area, rather than just starting from complete scratch. As horrid as it sounds to tear down and start again with a large amount of Port Adelaide's shops and businesses, it's not that bad. If the powers that be could recreate the shopping centres to look far less dull and overall find a way of making the whole area have far less of a depressing feel, it might actually stand a chance of being it's own successful satellite city. The State Government wants Port Adelaide to grow into a place as successful as Glenelg is, but doesn't seem to be willing to put in the hundreds of millions of dollars that would be necessary to do this. I don't think the State is simply in a financial position to make the necessary changes to make Port Adelaide anything more than the eyesore it currently is.

In saying that, the area surrounding the Port seems to be a fairly low economic area with relatively cheap housing, so I mean again as bad as it sounds, perhaps not a lot can be done with Port Adelaide... At least for the meantime.

[monotonehell]

People seem to blur the lines a lot between what the government can do and property that is in private hands.

The government do not own shopping centres, private homes or housing developments.