News & Developments: Bowden TOD

[Norman]

Well done on driving this for the community and the city

[Nathan]

Thanks Norman. It's encouraging that we've at least got some traction with it, having already met with RenewalSA (with another to come), and other residents being in contact with government. There's also been some follow up with Charles Sturt as well. I believe RenewalSA are taking the open letter seriously, and that it is generating some discussions behind the scenes.

I think the key thing is that we're not complaining to try and drag the project down, but pushing for things needed (and promised) to make it a success. We want it to be the example of walkable living it was meant to be.

We've held community forums, and it's clear there are many in the area frustrated by the lack of delivery, and for some it's having a real impact (there are definitely people with mobility issues that moved here thinking they would have access to these things at some point, but instead have to rely on others to take them to things like medical appointments). And it even trickles down to things like the streets being clogged by Woolworths and Coles delivery vans every evening.

[ChillyPhilly]

Thanks Norman. It's encouraging that we've at least got some traction with it, having already met with RenewalSA (with another to come), and other residents being in contact with government. There's also been some follow up with Charles Sturt as well. I believe RenewalSA are taking the open letter seriously, and that it is generating some discussions behind the scenes.

I think the key thing is that we're not complaining to try and drag the project down, but pushing for things needed (and promised) to make it a success. We want it to be the example of walkable living it was meant to be.

We've held community forums, and it's clear there are many in the area frustrated by the lack of delivery, and for some it's having a real impact (there are definitely people with mobility issues that moved here thinking they would have access to these things at some point, but instead have to rely on others to take them to things like medical appointments). And it even trickles down to things like the streets being clogged by Woolworths and Coles delivery vans every evening.

Your articulate and mindful push for what is needed in Bowden for its residents is fantastic.

Is Barbara Dickens still involved with the project? She is excellent. I have met with her a few times, albeit back in 2014-5. She oversaw much of the early community and stakeholder engagement when Bowden was still in the planning stages.

I do feel Bowden as a vision has been watered down in some ways since the original plans. Thankfully, as a location it is still new and unfinished, so there is time to sway it in the better direction yet.

[Nathan]

I appreciate the comments!

I don't believe Barbara is still with Renewal SA, but I agree that she was really great for the community engagement. It's a shame that the reference group was disbanded and it was funny when talking with Renewal SA recently they were *shocked* when we said we feel that there's little engagement these days...

There's definitely been a watering down. Some is market induced (especially through Covid), but it really felt like there was a point after the town square and Plant 4 were delivered when Renewal SA lost interest to a degree (evidenced to start with the switch to more townhouse developments, to later with completely offloading the gasworks site). Hopefully this is a bit of a wake up call for them to make a bit of a course correction.

[dbl96]

I appreciate the comments!

I don't believe Barbara is still with Renewal SA, but I agree that she was really great for the community engagement. It's a shame that the reference group was disbanded and it was funny when talking with Renewal SA recently they were *shocked* when we said we feel that there's little engagement these days...

There's definitely been a watering down. Some is market induced (especially through Covid), but it really felt like there was a point after the town square and Plant 4 were delivered when Renewal SA lost interest to a degree (evidenced to start with the switch to more townhouse developments, to later with completely offloading the gasworks site). Hopefully this is a bit of a wake up call for them to make a bit of a course correction.

I don't understand their fixation with building townhouses here - it is such an inefficient use of space, doesn't leave space for shops at street level, and townhouses are delivered on mass by the market everywhere as part of general infill with subdivisions etc anyway. Large, well located strategic infill sites like Bowden shouldn't be squandered with townhouses - we only have so many large strategic infill sites left. They should be used to build mixed use communities with most dwellings apartments, as originally envisaged for Bowden. There are no existing residents to complain about overshadowing, so I don't see why they are being so timid about it.

[ChillyPhilly]

I feel like Renewal SA got lazy with the delivery and loaded it with townhouses to speed it up.

[Nathan]

I feel like Renewal SA got lazy with the delivery and loaded it with townhouses to speed it up.

That was absolutely it. There were a few years where they really struggled to sell apartments (the failure of The Standard, and how long it took to sell 354), so they switched to 3 bedroom townhouses and terraces "because that's what the market wants". There was always meant to be a small amount of townhouses in the mix (primarily those in the first stage, along Sixth St and one end of Seventh St), but certainly not the large blocks we're seeing now.

[dbl96]

I feel like Renewal SA got lazy with the delivery and loaded it with townhouses to speed it up.

That was absolutely it. There were a few years where they really struggled to sell apartments (the failure of The Standard, and how long it took to sell 354), so they switched to 3 bedroom townhouses and terraces "because that's what the market wants". There was always meant to be a small amount of townhouses in the mix (primarily those in the first stage, along Sixth St and one end of Seventh St), but certainly not the large blocks we're seeing now.

Market conditions have surely changed now though. With the ridiculous property price increases we have seen over COVID, even townhouses are increasingly out of reach for the average buyer, especially first home buyers. I suspect this will push many more people to settle for an apartment than was previously the case in the (not so long ago) days when you could buy a 500m2+ detached house and land in a decent middle ring suburb for around 500k. Nowadays people often pay more than that for a comparable apartment/unit in the same area.

[Nathan]

Hearing that the 6 Park Tce office development has been scrapped, citing high office vacancy in the CBD (never mind that that high vacancy is almost all low quality space that it wouldn't actually be competing with, but whatever). Will be interesting to see what Renewal SA say about it, considering they were banking on it to deliver some daytime activity in the area during the week.

[JK99]

Hopefully they do scrap it and go for more retail/housing

[Nathan]

Hopefully they do scrap it and go for more retail/housing

It won’t be retail. In the discussions I’ve had with Renewal SA, they’ve pretty much said retail is unviable without the daytime foot traffic commercial offices would bring. Essentially this building needed to come first.

[Mpol02]

Bowden just feels like it’s getting less and less exciting. Shame.

Adelaidians much prefer their cars and lots of land well outside the city

[JK99]

Bowden just feels like it’s getting less and less exciting. Shame.

I still have a level of excitement for the area when I travel to SA for my build updates. Admittedly I am starting to think the Gasworks development holds the key to whether the area will be a success.

Also hopeful in the long term, the Brewery development along with the Gasworks will help revitalize that end of Port Road and surrounds.

[Mpol02]

Th brewery looks spectacular fingers crossed we see it happen

[Vasco]

agree with sentiments above about townhouses as a poor use of space at a site like this.

They should be building 3 bedroom appartments, however not in the traditional sense where they are built as more luxurious with a price to match, just liveable and affordable.

It shouldn’t be that much more costly to add the extra bedroom + bathroom, + standard laundry and kitchen, with a bit more natural light in the 2/3 bedrooms.

This would go far in providing additional options for families during this crisis.

Same goes for the former proposed Kaufland site at Prospect / Islington. Completely wasted opportunity for higher density in an area that wouldn’t have had complaints about overshadowing and with train line on doorstep.


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