[U/C] 88 O'Connell Street | 63m | 13, 13 and 15 Levels | Mixed Use

[d3v310per]

From AdelaideNow 9th August 2021.... not at all surprised. Can't imagine 8 stories will be viable at all.

North Adelaide residents to challenge $250m Le Cornu site redevelopment in court

A North Adelaide residents group wants to legally challenge the $250m redevelopment of the former Le Cornu site on O’Connell St.

Vital North Adelaide has instructed lawyer Mark Hamilton to obtain expert advice about a recent decision by the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) to approve the project.

The joint venture between Adelaide City Council and private developer Commercial & General involves the construction of three apartment towers above a two-storey podium.

Mr Hamilton, a former deputy lord mayor, said he had retained a Queen’s Counsel to examine the SCAP approval process.

“I expect that will involve an application for judicial review by the Supreme Court,” he said.

Mr Hamilton said the council had recommended a development up to eight storeys high following extensive community consultation.

Instead, SCAP had approved one tower with 15 storeys and two more with 13 levels.

“When a planning body says yes to high rise that is more than twice the indicated height in a low-rise heritage suburb, then legal action is the only recourse people have left,” he said.

Vital North Adelaide spokesman Robert Farnan said North Adelaide was a “critically important heritage and historic conservation area”.

“Right in the middle, they want to plonk three high-rise concrete monolithic buildings totally out of scale and place,” he said.

Mr Farnan said his group supported development of the former Le Cornu site, which had been vacant for three decades.

“But what the City Council and this developer are doing is devastating, overbearing and appalling,” he said.

“We believe the SCAP decision has made a mockery of the development plan.”

In May, nearly 180 people attended a meeting as part of a campaign to lobby SCAP against the project.

The development includes a trio of towers comprising apartments, offices, cafes and shops, set back from tiered levels of parks and open space, supported by close to 400 car parks across three basement levels.

Last December, Adelaide developer Commercial & General unveiled its $250m vision for the long-vacant site, which has been dogged by controversy and delay for more than 30 years.

Work is well advanced on a display apartment on the corner of Archer St and O’Connell St.

The site has been the venue for the popular animated Van Gogh exhibition which has attracted hundreds of people to the area in recent weeks.

[cmet]

Embarrassing.

[Algernon]

This would be a first world problem if they were on the planet.

[crawf]

What a surprise, Mark Hamilton has now gotten involved.

Mr Farnan said his group supported development of the former Le Cornu site, which had been vacant for three decades.

“But what the City Council and this developer are doing is devastating, overbearing and appalling,” he said.

Let's not forget their revolutionary proposal...

[Patrick_27]

What they fail to realise is there is no reason that this has to be the catalyst for large-scale development in North Adelaide, I see this more as a centrepiece to a desired rejuvenation of the whole O'Connell Street precinct. Sure, we might see development on sites like North Adelaide Village but I don't think the height of this will see necessarily be replicated elsewhere in NA. Besides, what I can't understand, these are the same residents crying out for the council and state government to do more to bring people to O'Connell Street and whilst this attempt might not be the most creative solution, it certainly will bring a few hundred more residents to the area and open up a raft of larger spaces for new businesses to tenant.

[rev]

They're going to take it to court?

This development will add how much to the economy?
How many jobs?
Flow on effect for local businesses that are struggling?

So court action if successful will be to the detriment of the state and majority.

Perhaps government should look at cutting services that North Adelaide relies on and takes for granted. Why should the rest of us pay for their services?

Also, a survey of local residents would be interesting. I doubt there's many who are opposed or even care about this development. Probably more who see it as a positive for the area.

Of course when the minority militants label them selves in a general way as to imply they represent the whole suburb...

[how good is he]

I think the last approval was 57m high [the Sheraton Hotel etc] and I don't remember any court action threatened/taken over that. I know a sales display was to be built/opened soon, so I wonder if this will stop the developer attempting off the plan sales until this is resolved [even though they do have an approval]? If so, how long do you think it will take for a decision if it goes to court?

[crawf]

Had a look at Vital North Adelaide's website and found the following statement.

Visitors come from everywhere. Shoppers come largely from a shopping zone’s catchment area. The northern Adelaide catchment has developed several large shopping zones over recent years, such as NorthPark/Sefton Plaza and Churchill Centre, so it’s very unlikely to attract enough shoppers to keep yet more shops in business. Nevertheless this is what is proposed with the mega-build. Added to which the north is a generally less prosperous area than the south or east of the City of Adelaide.

This just highlights the absolute snobbery of these groups.

It's interesting they are advocating for a laneway style mid-rise development, which sounds very similar to the original Makris proposal that was rejected by these same people..

[Patrick_27]

Had a look at Vital North Adelaide's website and found the following statement.

Visitors come from everywhere. Shoppers come largely from a shopping zone’s catchment area. The northern Adelaide catchment has developed several large shopping zones over recent years, such as NorthPark/Sefton Plaza and Churchill Centre, so it’s very unlikely to attract enough shoppers to keep yet more shops in business. Nevertheless this is what is proposed with the mega-build. Added to which the north is a generally less prosperous area than the south or east of the City of Adelaide.

This just highlights the absolute snobbery of these groups.

It's interesting they are advocating for a laneway style mid-rise development, which sounds very similar to the original Makris proposal that was rejected by these same people..

C'mon crawf, you've been on this forum for as long as I can remember, you know well what the North Adelaide residents are like. They make claims that they're willing to compromise when they oppose a proposal for this site, but then there compromise is almost identical to one of the ten or more proposals already touted for this site. It's the circle protest approach, stall things by taking authorities in circles.

[Nort]

Can we suggest a compromise?

If North Adelaide wants to be a suburb of Adelaide, then let it.

Split North Adelaide out of the Adelaide City Council, and they can treat their "suburb" like they want to, without also influencing the CBD.

However if they want to keep that influence over central Adelaide, then it goes both ways that North Adelaide is considered part of the city itself and they can drop the suburb talk.

[PeFe]

There appears to be a website for this development now.

https://88oconnell.com/

[RoiMartel]

The Display Suite will be open to the public on Saturday 9th October.

Penthouses range in price from $3.8 million to $10 million.

[Mpol02]

Has a development gotten this far before on this site?

I’d imagine if there’s a lot of interest and sales are strong, this will have to go ahead

[[Shuz]]

$10m would have to be a record for an Adelaide penthouse surely? A view from the southern side looking towards the city would be stupendously spectacular. I think North Adelaide is at a higher elevation too than most of the CBD so, wouldn't be surprised if these towers stand out quite prominently.

[Smithy84]

Has a development gotten this far before on this site?

I’d imagine if there’s a lot of interest and sales are strong, this will have to go ahead

Surprised the North Adelaide militia let the showroom get built!!