News & Discussion: General CBD Development

[Will]

It's a boom time

Chris Day
29May07


A RECORD $1 billion development boom for the city and North Adelaide is likely this year on the back of a flurry of plans for new office towers, apartment blocks and sports ground upgrades.
More than $321 million worth of development applications have been lodged with the Adelaide City Council since January 1, including a record breaking $202 million in the March quarter.
On top of that, plans have been released for the $75million upgrade on Adelaide Oval, the $55million revamp of Victoria Park and a $250million apartment/shopping complex at North Adelaide's LeCornu site.
``If you look at the end value of projects that are going to be commenced this year it should get close to a billion dollars,'' Urban Construct chief executive Todd Brown said.
``That says all is going well for a healthy flourishing city.''Last year the council received a record $525 million worth of development applications.
Less than halfway through this year, the council is already close to matching the entire value of development applications lodged in 2005 ($343 million) and 2004 ($391 million).
Mr Brown put the boom down to good economic times, low interest rates and high levels of employment.
``Plus we've got a mining boom prediction and a defence industry that has had some very big wins.''
Lord Mayor Michael Harbison was reluctant to predict a final value for this year's development applications, but he was confident it would be a record year for the council.
He said the growth was down to companies wanting to move to new green-rated buildings and firms moving to the city from the suburbs, to be closer to clients and services.
The council's decision to increase building height limits across sections of the city had encouraged development, he said.
``(The buildings) will be vital infrastructure for the city and will try to make possible a critical mass (of people) that will ensure the future of Adelaide,'' Mr Harbison said.
``It's very pleasing that we're taking the right choices and heading for success as a city.''
However, Property Council SA executive director Nathan Paine said the surge in new buildings had little to do with the City Council.
``The new buildings we're seeing constructed in the city are down to the private sector and the private sector alone,'' Mr Paine said.

[Ben]

I noticed in the council's 2007/2008 draft budget they have allocated $400,000 to a restaurant/cafe on the eastern end of Rundle Mall.

I don't know if its a good idea having another one, because the existing one hasn't been very busy.

yeh i'm with you crawf... especially since this one will be located next to rundle street where there are already so many cafe's / restarants already there

That is true but with Rundle convergence it will bring the two precinct's together nicely and hopefully will stop so many emo's druggies sitting at the table for macca's in the middle of the mall there.

[bmw boy]

aah yeh... didnt think about the developement down there... and yes any move to get rid of loitering emo's in rundle mall is a good one

[jk1237]

Hi people. Dont know if this is the right thread, but I need some help in finding pictures for some friends in regard to the worst, worst, worst atrocity to ever happen in our city centre. Im 30 years old so I never saw it myself, but there was once arguably the grandest ever building seen in Adelaide that stood on the cnr of Rundle/Pulteney St. It was built in the 1890s and was a grand 5-6 storey Victorian style building that was either a hotel or department store. If it was still there it would probably be the most photographed intersection. I need some pics on this building. What makes in the worst decision in history is because what it was replaced by - the disgraceful carpark above Hungry Jacks. Why couldnt they have knocked down a little 1-2 storey building maybe next door, instead of that. Why why?

[Bulldozer]

and yes any move to get rid of loitering emo's in rundle mall is a good one

I wish my avatar (Cat D11) was for real. There's 105 tonnes sitting on those tracks... I wonder how many emos, greenies and nimbys you could fit under them before they could overpower it.

[MaximumForce]

Hi JK1237 pls check out for your answer:

http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/for ... .php?t=147

for images like:

[Cruise]

and yes any move to get rid of loitering emo's in rundle mall is a good one

I wish my avatar (Cat D11) was for real. There's 105 tonnes sitting on those tracks... I wonder how many emos, greenies and nimbys you could fit under them before they could overpower it.

hopefuly a bloody lot

[SRW]

I remember the following article by Tim Lloyd in the Heritage Matters column painting the problem of Government House on North Terrace fairly well:

MARBLE HILL Government shirking duty It's a crying shame
TIM LLOYD
10 March 2007
The Advertiser

THE wrestling match over South Australia's two Government Houses has heated up this week, with one being offered for sale and the other facing sub-division.

Marble Hill is just a crying shame. If the State Government gives itself the privilege of self-insurance, it has a responsibility to actually fix up its damaged properties.

Instead, successive governments have left the former summer residence to decay for 52 years since it was burnt out in the terrible 1955 bushfires.

In this instance, the State Government has behaved like those objectionable property developers who hope heritage properties will fade away, to be demolished and redeveloped.

True to form, it has announced the cause of Marble Hill is so dire it should be sold off. It can wash its hands of the place, and perhaps make a few quid on the side selling an enduring tourist attraction with 22ha of prime Adelaide Hills bushland.

Meanwhile, in the very heart of Adelaide, Government House is seriously impeding the flow of logic along our cultural boulevard.

Everyone has a suggestion for how the place could be better used, most recently this week by establishing a memorial walk for SA's service men and women, heading from the War Memorial down to the Torrens Parade Ground on the eastern boundary of the house.

Government House has become an obstacle both north-south and east-west.

It stops the western flow of pedestrians from the cultural institutions and universities to the Adelaide Festival Centre, railway station, casino, river bank and the Adelaide Convention Centre.

It stops the natural connection from Adelaide's busiest shopping precinct north into the parklands.

With open gardens and public access, Government House's grand reception rooms would be great for state occasions, while the rest of the building would be ideal for housing more of the cultural institutions.

I can think of one really good spot for the Governor to move, particularly over summer - Marble Hill.

I'm actually quite in favour of Government House and its grounds remaining essentially intact. The walls, however, should come down. They stand as a barrier alienating the Torrens and Riverbank Precinct from the cultural boulevard. If opening the grounds means it can no longer serve as a residence (quite aside from whether the vice regal is retained), I'd like to see it become either an actual Government House (ie, the Premier and Cabinet relocating to it) or a cultural institute (hopefully still with the capacity to host ceremonial events).

[Shuz]

Isnt marble hill where downer was raised?

[SRW]

Isnt marble hill where downer was raised?

No, as stated in the quoted article, Marble Hill was the Governor's summer residence until it was destroyed by a bushfire 50-odd years ago.

Downer's childhood home was Raywood House at Aldgate.

[stumpjumper]

Very nice...the T & G Building on the corner of Grenfell & King Wm Sts has just been painted. The only improvement would be to refit the original cream and green canvas roller blinds (really - same pattern and colours as a beach shelter) into each window frame.

When it was finished in 1926 the T & G Building was Adelaide's tallest building and the city's first seriously large office block. A few years after it was finished, the Depression hit the state.

Here's an interesting view of the state's recovery:

'The scourge of the Depression had forced its politicians, public servants and leading business people to reject their long-held assumption that the expansion of farming was the key to employment and prosperity. The State's new Auditor-General, J.W. Wainwright, was the most ardent advocate of a policy to stimulate industrial development, and won an enthusiastic convert in the Premier, Sir Richard Butler.

Wainwright argued that if South Australia was to overcome the disabilities of long distance from the main eastern markets for its manufactured goods and high cost of importing New South Wales coal for generating electricity, the government should offer incentives to manufacturers. As a first step, the government reduced company taxation rates and lowered wharfage rates on outbound goods, measures which may have persuaded General Motors-Holdens Ltd to remain at Woodville rather than move to Victoria. Further steps were the building of the Birkenhead bridge at Port Adelaide, the assistance to build a steel and concrete wharf to serve the Imperial Chemical Industries of Australia and New Zealand Ltd salt and alkali plant at Osborne, and the proclamation of the Lefevre Peninsula as a 'protected' industrial area. Government, business and the trade unions worked together harmoniously in moves to strengthen the State's manufacturing base and to ensure that not all the benefits flowing from Australia's tariff on imported manufactured goods went to firms in Sydney and Melbourne.'

from http://www.atlas.sa.gov.au/go/resources ... n-the-wars

[dan.]

drove past last nite

A certain Adelaide Developer has some fencing up & some slabs poured

Does anyone know if this is a new Commercial Building or more residential gear

That side of the city is going well currently..

any info is good info

dan.

[Will]

I think they are building a 4-5 level mixed use building. But I'm not 100% sure. It would be beneficial if you had a look of the low-mid rise thread, as I think there is some info regarding this development on there.

[Will]

It is about time. I remember taking a few photos of the building last year, and the paint was cracked and flaking off. Hopefully with this restoration, they install lighting on the facade, to illuminate this important building up at night. If this building was located interstate it would be lit-up at night.

[Pistol]

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone knows what is happening at Hotel 208 South Terrace. I have noticed over the last couple of months that there is some ground work being done and upon closer inspection of the building, it looks like there is work being carried on in the rooms. The old dining room has been demolished and a couple of balconies have been painted in various colours (maybe a new facade?). Is this still a hotel? I can't remember seeing this in the ACC site.

Where the dining room was - completely demolished taking with it some of the balconies on the first floor.

Are these colours being considered for the entire building?

Love that VAST wall of yellow brick.
This building is so dominant in that part of town and it is a shame that it is so ugly. Any renovation can only be a blessing.