News & Developments: Bowden TOD

[Nathan]

I fly in and out of Adelaide on a weekly basis, have done for close to nine years now. I get a birds eye view of Bowden, and it hardly seems like a resounding success. Seems to be taking a long time to fill in that parcel of land. Still looks half finished after all those years, so I don't see how this development is going to improve the area in a hurry. The demand seems to be pretty low.

I cycle back to ongoing belief that much of this is due to disinterest by RenewalSA after there was a fair bit of turnover in the team, and poor marketing. Sales of the townhouse developments have been strong though, and Nightingale's ballot was taken up in a single day, so there's obviously some demand there when doing things right. A local high street needs to be delivered on I believe to bump Bowden into the next phase, and RenewalSA has been way too slow on that. From the sounds of it, MAB might be the catalyst instead.

[Llessur2002]

I hope that's the case - I'm really interested to hear more about the 'employment hub' (whatever that might be) but in general the piazza area looks great and much more sympathetic to the heritage buildings than the Crows' proposal. A hotel is an interesting inclusion too - the Hindmarsh area in general is really lacking in accommodation options.

[crawf]

There are a lot of nonsense comments going around on social media about how a Melbourne property developer was picked over the Adelaide Crows (I say this as a Crows supporter as well), or how the money will just go interstate. What's missing from the commentary is that the Adelaide Crows bid was also in partnership with a Melbourne based developer, or the jobs or benefits from the development itself.

Namely one media organisation, the trash-tiser. It’s pathetic.

Thankgod for the InDaily.

[Nathan]

I hope that's the case - I'm really interested to hear more about the 'employment hub' (whatever that might be) but in general the piazza area looks great and much more sympathetic to the heritage buildings than the Crows' proposal. A hotel is an interesting inclusion too - the Hindmarsh area in general is really lacking in accommodation options.

I'm amazed there's zero accomodation in the area as well, given the Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium (and to a less extent, The Gov). I've always hoped the Raptis site on the corner of Port Rd and Park Tce would be redeveloped into a mixed-use building with a hotel (similar to the Nishi building in Canberra) to take advantage of the views across the parklands and Torrens (and proximity to the train station and tram), and to act as an entrance statement to the area.

[Nort]

I fly in and out of Adelaide on a weekly basis, have done for close to nine years now. I get a birds eye view of Bowden, and it hardly seems like a resounding success. Seems to be taking a long time to fill in that parcel of land. Still looks half finished after all those years, so I don't see how this development is going to improve the area in a hurry. The demand seems to be pretty low.

I know quite a few people who live in Bowden, and while I'm no longer in a phase of my life where the options would suit me, they all love it. Other people have mentioned turnover in those involved with the project, but it also feels like there is a real approach of getting one bit done and seeing what has and hasn't worked well before moving onto the next steps.

This new development seems like it's exactly in line with everything that has worked well for Bowden up to now and the Crows proposal was just another attempt to score some cheap land off the government.

[jk1237]

I fly in and out of Adelaide on a weekly basis, have done for close to nine years now. I get a birds eye view of Bowden, and it hardly seems like a resounding success. Seems to be taking a long time to fill in that parcel of land. Still looks half finished after all those years, so I don't see how this development is going to improve the area in a hurry. The demand seems to be pretty low.

absolute garbage based on nothing. Virtually every stage has sold out prior or during construction. Blame the developers that deliberately withhold construction of new stages in order to restrict supply to drive up the selling prices

[Nathan]

Of course Labor is going into bat for the Crows now, because opposing the Government is more important than the original master plan done under their own watch.

[Jaymz]

Of course Labor is going into bat for the Crows now, because opposing the Government is more important than the original master plan done under their own watch.

Yep, excuse the eye rolling pun but this decision is a free kick plus a 50 metre penalty gifted to the Opposition by the Govt.

[Nathan]

Letter tonight from Life More Interesting, with an additional render of the heritage area (and higher quality of the previous two).

Former Brompton Gasworks site to go all electric as new development commits to 100% renewable energy
Several months ago, Renewal SA set out to find a development partner for the former Brompton Gasworks site who could deliver the best possible outcome for the local community and the State at large.

Yesterday, we were pleased to confirm national developer MAB Corporation as the Preferred Proponent for the acquisition, remediation, and development of the historic land parcel.

What MAB proposes is a unique master planned village unlike anything we have seen before in South Australia.

It will transform the long-dormant former Gasworks site into a vibrant mixed-use precinct, unlocking its true potential and completing the campus-style feel of the wider Bowden suburb that our tight-knit community has come to know and love.

Key among the enhanced offerings of the Gasworks Precinct will be:

• a 6 Star Green Star community rating, which represents ‘World Leadership’ in environmentally sustainable practices. All power across the project will be delivered via 100% renewable energy provided through rooftop solar panels – the first project of its kind in South Australia
• a lively 11,500sqm Heritage Quarter - featuring a town piazza, retail shops, bars, cafes, restaurants and a 120-room boutique hotel - which will see historic elements like the State heritage-listed Retort House, chimney, Purifying House, Chief Street wall and tunnels brought back to life and celebrated
• unbridled 24/7 access to parks and high-quality public realm with approximately one quarter or 1.5-hectares of the site retained as 100% publicly accessible open space for residents to relax, meet, exercise and play
• removal of significant soil contamination from the site, remediating it not only for current residents but making it safe for future generations
• a mix of residential housing options for an estimated 2200 new residents, including at least 15% affordable housing, and townhouse and apartment options that cater for open market buyers, build-to-rent occupiers and aged care residents
• 1180 car parks - 520 public and 660 residential - with Electric Vehicle charging stations incorporated in all residential buildings as well as three dedicated Flexicar parks
• $459m in capital expenditure investment creating hundreds of construction jobs over the life of the project and a further 730-1000 ongoing jobs once complete
  substantial investment in public infrastructure such as bike paths and walkways reinforcing Bowden’s enviable reputation as a walkable community. This will not only provide maximum connectivity to nearby public transport including trains and trams but also seamless integration with the existing Bowden Precinct.
  
  The construction of these new developments strongly aligns with what has already been created at Bowden and the activation of the old heritage structures will provide a positive legacy for the community. Combined, they will generate significant economic activity and advanced sustainability and lifestyle opportunities for residents.

What’s next?
The former Gasworks site requires extensive remediation and there is no quick fix. MAB’s proposal delivers an intergenerational solution, fully remediating the site for future generations.

Renewal SA will now exclusively negotiate with MAB with a view to entering into a Development Agreement in the coming months. Once signed, we will work with MAB’s remediation partners – who have extensive experience in similar complex environmental projects including Barangaroo and Osborne Gasworks – to commence a clean-up strategy and begin removal of contamination.

MAB will also establish an Adelaide office, providing a headquarters for the project which will engage dozens of local partners, such as leading hospitality experts Duxton Pubs Group, and generate hundreds of South Australian jobs.

First works on the Heritage Quarter are scheduled for Stage 1 of the development, which will commence once the site remediation process has been completed.
The community has played an important role in getting to this stage and will continue to do so. MAB is committed to ongoing community and stakeholder engagement to ensure everyone is aware of what’s happening and can continue to have input throughout the various phases of the project’s development.
The Gasworks is one of the most significant sites in South Australia as far as its historical value, its location and its capacity to transform the city and reimagine the way we live. MAB’s proposal was judged as delivering superior overall outcomes across the evaluation criteria and we are confident it will deliver the best outcome for the local community and for all South Australians.

We look forward to sharing more of this project’s many benefits to the wider Bowden community in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, you can read about MAB’S vision here or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Kind Regards
Shane Wingard
Bowden Project Director

[NTRabbit]

Am I the only one who thinks there's way too much commercial instead of open community space in the winning bid, just down the road from Plant 4, and 1 train stop/4 tram stops from Rundle Mall? And what does a hotel have to do with a TOD? Why does everything the current government plans or approves suspiciously have to have a hotel wedged into it? MAB doesn't exactly have a great track record either.

[Nort]

Am I the only one who thinks there's way too much commercial instead of open community space in the winning bid, just down the road from Plant 4, and 1 train stop/4 tram stops from Rundle Mall? And what does a hotel have to do with a TOD? Why does everything the current government plans or approves suspiciously have to have a hotel wedged into it? MAB doesn't exactly have a great track record either.

Looks like a good balance to me. If people want wide open parks then the Parklands are about the same distance away as that tram stop.

edit: checked on Google maps, 500 meters from the center of this development to the Parklands, and there is also Bowden Park along the way.

[Jaymz]

I fly in and out of Adelaide on a weekly basis, have done for close to nine years now. I get a birds eye view of Bowden, and it hardly seems like a resounding success. Seems to be taking a long time to fill in that parcel of land. Still looks half finished after all those years, so I don't see how this development is going to improve the area in a hurry. The demand seems to be pretty low.

absolute garbage based on nothing. Virtually every stage has sold out prior or during construction. Blame the developers that deliberately withhold construction of new stages in order to restrict supply to drive up the selling prices

Just based on my 600 flights in and out of Adelaide over the past 10 years.

[gnrc_louis]

Labor talking about reviewing the crows bid if elected. It’s truly the fucking turd which won’t flush.

[Llessur2002]

Yeah I really don't understand this. It was obviously the lesser of the two designs - crowded and unsympathetic. I'm hoping this is something Labor quietly drops after the election.

[Nathan]

Yeah I really don't understand this. It was obviously the lesser of the two designs - crowded and unsympathetic. I'm hoping this is something Labor quietly drops after the election.

It's frustrating. They keep talking about the outcome for the community, but the only metric I can possibly see is raw "open space" percentage.

I've previously written to Malinauskas about this, back when it was first floated, and never received a reply. I struggle to see their angle, particularly when the winning proposal is far more inline with the original masterplan that was created under their watch!