News & Discussion: General CBD Development

[Will]

From the Hames Sharley website:

Playford Alive Housing





+Client:Department for Communities and Social Inclusion
+Location:Adelaide, South Australia
+Features:Medium-density housing and mixed-use development in the CBD

The ‘Playford’ site, located at the intersection of Angas Street and Frome Street in the Adelaide CBD comprising a total site area is approximately 6,900m2, the intent of the project is to develop a precinct for socially sustainable housing development.







The development is to provide greater diversity and choice of housing, in particular affordable living, to promote a more environmentally and socially responsible urban form that facilitates medium-density housing and mixed-use development in the CBD and along key transport corridors. The proposed residential outcomes will be designed as socially sustainable housing with the requirement of flexible design such that the longer term goal to establish a tenancy mix.

[Wayno]

Not Adelaide specific, but a good plug for us. Focus is "Smart & Connected Cities"

From The Age:

Australian cities in no hurry to become smart

As the high-tech connected or "smart city" becomes reality around the world, local governments in Australia are being cautious about whether the financial commitment to technology infrastructure is worth the return.

Barcelona was voted Europe's innovation capital by the European Commission in March for its use of "new technologies to bring the city closer to citizens" while in the US, Chicago is aggressively using new infrastructure for open data, sensors and cameras to enhance city services including crosswalks, bike share programs, street lighting, garbage collection, policing, road repair and rodent detection.

In Australia, in an agreement between Adelaide City Council, the South Australian government and Cisco intends to establish Adelaide as a leading global connected city, but the idea of smart garbage bins and other smart things are not on its must-do list.

The project includes the creation of an 'innovation hub' to test technology that may enhance the city's transport, healthcare, education, and utility services.

While Adelaide now runs free Wi-Fi in its central business district, the city's chief executive wants to see actual benefits of added infrastructure before joining Barcelona and Chicago in high-level connectivity such as installing computers in rubbish bins.

"In a city our size, does it make sense to have smart bins or should rubbish crews go down the street and check every bin?" said Adelaide chief executive Peter Smith in an interview during the Cisco-sponsored Internet of Things World Forum in Chicago this month at which "connected cities" was a buzz phrase.

A cautious Mr Smith said Adelaide's economy was undergoing transformation following the loss of car manufacturing and associated industries, and building new tech infrastructure had potential, ­especially at no cost to the city (the deal with Cisco requires no government financial outlay).

"I need to see the business case," Mr Smith said. "I would not want Adelaide to be at the bleeding edge of technology but I am keen to progress this. We are quite happy for a company like Cisco to come and work with us but I will reserve my judgment. If it does work it is a huge opportunity for the city."

Demonstrating how tech giants are taking aim at local governments, Ballarat in Victoria was the subject of a recent pro bono study by IBM which recommended the use of technology to better manage waste disposal in the city.

Cisco chief executive John Chambers, whose company is involved in connecting Barcelona and Chicago, said Australia should be a global leader in smart cities.

Asked if Australian cities were dragging their heels compared with others around the world, Mr Chambers said: "You run a risk if you don't make a move."

"If a political leader is not so excited about [technology] then I go sell somewhere else.

"I think it is only natural when you have a country that is very well educated, with a very sparse population across a very big geography, you all should be a leader in [connected cities]."

According to one academic researcher, big tech companies are "making important innovations in addressing urban problems" but the need for sales means solutions don't always match municipality needs. Importantly, local governments don't always understand the technology they invest in.

"Administrators are right to be cautious," Donald McNeill, professor of Urban and Cultural Geography at the University of Western Sydney, told Fairfax Media.

"There are simple technologies that can be used for a fraction of the price, from better signposting on bus stops to clearer notices on rubbish bins to incentivising street-level council employees to report and inspect maintenance issues," Professor McNeill said.

"These things should all be in place before things are automated. We should also remember that many of these citizen technologies are smartphone-enabled and only a proportion of city dwellers possess smartphones. Some people might be excluded from what should be standard city services."

[Ben]

I don't have access to the whole article but doesn't look too promising for the office construction sector.

AFR

http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/ ... uyQLRO2HxJ

Adelaide CBD prices may fall until 2020

PUBLISHED: 28 Oct 2014 01:15:30

The Adelaide CBD office vacancy rate will blow out to 15 per cent next year and effective rents and prices will continue to fall until the end of the decade, research firm BIS Shrapnel has warned in a bleak new forecast.

[monotonehell]

I don't have access to the whole article but doesn't look too promising for the office construction sector.

AFR

http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/ ... uyQLRO2HxJ

Adelaide CBD prices may fall until 2020

PUBLISHED: 28 Oct 2014 01:15:30

The Adelaide CBD office vacancy rate will blow out to 15 per cent next year and effective rents and prices will continue to fall until the end of the decade, research firm BIS Shrapnel has warned in a bleak new forecast.

The AFR are basing this on a BIS report. If, like me, you haven't paid their $10k subscription fee to read the report, you can see the media release here:
http://www.bis.com.au/verve/_resources/ ... r_2014.pdf

[Ben]

This is a small 8 level building from memory, it use to house a subway on ground floor not sure if it still does.

Type: Application Assessed on Merit

Application Number: DA/884/2014

Lodgement Date:11/11/2014

Location: 74 Pirie Street, ADELAIDE SA 5000

Description: Refurbish existing commercial building including roof terrace and facade upgrade.

[Will]

From news.com:

Plan for more buzzing laneways as Adelaide’s CBD revival continues


This story was published: 1 hour ago December 07, 2014 8:02PM


MORE city laneways will be overhauled, every building on North Tce will be open for business and pop-ups will appear in the Parklands as the State Government seeks to strengthen the CBD economy.

Topham Mall, Gresham and Blyth streets in the city’s south west are among the laneways that could be targeted to be renewed with bars, cafes and shops as the Government seeks to expand the transformation already continuing around Adelaide Oval to the whole square mile.

TELL US: How do you rate the Government’s plan to revitalise the CBD economy?

Premier Jay Weatherill will on Monday release his economic priority statement for the city, which sets targets that include increasing the value of potential development to $5 billion and help 30 new small to medium businesses to open their doors by 2017.

He said the Government also wanted to ensure there were cultural and sporting activities happening at all times of the week, throughout the whole year, for people of all ages.

Planning Minister John Rau said in the next 12 months the Government hoped to work with Adelaide City Council and the inner metropolitan councils to “activate” parts of the parklands.

“It could be things like pop-ups, something like a coffee shops or bars. We need to have more conversations about what people want,” Mr Rau said.


He said the Government was aware of areas in the city where buildings were vacant and planned to contact building owners to find out why and work with them find new uses.

The economic priority paper also states that in the next 12 months the Government will develop a vision for a new Festival Plaza and deliver at least a part of that project and, streamline the regulatory processes for major events in the CBD.

By 2017, the Government plans to increase the number of people living in the city from 22,000 to 30,000 on the way to the 2024 target of 50,000

[Ben]

Surely with this round of booming apartment projects we can break the 100m mark. Or even get a new tallest. Maybe Spire could be relaunched. Our skyline is getting so much denser but from a distance doesn't look like its changed since the late 80's. Atleast it's obvious on the ground how much different it is but I want an updated postcard shot with a couple of nice 150m glass towers

[crawf]

Here here!

[Dvious]

I think someone (maybe even starfish) needs to be ambitious and just go screw it, lets propose a 150m tower and go for it.

It has never been a better time to go for the new tallest, even if its 10 storey's of office tower, then 30 for apartments. As long as its only around 250 rooms maximum i think its achievable.

[ghs]

Dvious, it's not a simple as saying 'I am going to build a 150m tower !!'

First thing is there are height limits in the CBD, look at the Bohem proposal for example the
developers scaled down the proposal so that it would be approved.

Secondly a developer needs to have a strong business case in order to support such a proposal.
At this point in time Adelaide doesn't have the economic growth to support a 150m building.

It's nice to dream, but honestly we need to be realistic.

[cruel_world00]

Dvious, it's not a simple as saying 'I am going to build a 150m tower !!'

First thing is there are height limits in the CBD, look at the Bohem proposal for example the
developers scaled down the proposal so that it would be approved.

Secondly a developer needs to have a strong business case in order to support such a proposal.
At this point in time Adelaide doesn't have the economic growth to support a 150m building.

It's nice to dream, but honestly we need to be realistic.

I've always wanted a nice tall new building in Adelaide BUT I think the work that is being done on ground level speaks far greater than a shiny new skyscraper ever does.

Think of the great skylines of the world, I can think of maybe a handful....but the cities thoroughly enjoy have great culture and stuff going on and I can barely remember what their skyline looks like.

[Will]

Sounds promising....

Hines Property has secured a prime site on Rundle Street, in heart of the Adelaide's vibrant East End precinct and is underway with design for a landmark apartment project. Renowned global architecture firm, Woods Bagot, have been appointed to lead the design process.

More news to come...

[Nathan]

Trying to think where on Rundle St that wouldn't be protected...

[Ben]

They've also put up Hines Property hoardings around the vacant site next to the Ibis Hotel.

[metro]

Just judging on the last few Hines "landmark" projects; Conservatory, Crowne Plaza, and Ibis.. I wouldn't get my hopes up for anything different, I'd expect just another ordinary concrete/glass box between 40-70m tall, nothing too different so that it fits the character of the East-End's heritage. But hopefully they come up with something of decent height, maybe similar height to Vue, and a unique design to contrast it with the surrounding heritage structures and the crap recent architecture of the 90s-00s.

As for where such a building might be located.. I'm guessing Teds Cameras, it could also include the facades of one or both neighboring buildings. Another could be the Super Elliott cycles and/or the Scout Outdoor Centre buildings.