[PRO] Festival Plaza Tower 2 | 149m | 38 Levels | Office

[VinyTapestry849]

Heres a new thread for the tower

This will be iconic building for people flying into Adelaide, our public and world image, visitors and tourists alike.

[Will]

From ABC news:

Skyscraper for Festival Plaza to reach 149 metres and rank among Adelaide's tallest towers

Posted 18h ago18 hours ago


In short: The new Walker Corporation development will become one of the tallest towers in Adelaide's CBD, reaching 149 metres.

The government said it would contribute to the city's economic and cultural life, but Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said it could damage the value of existing developments.
What's next? Pending planning approval, work on the building is set to start next year and finish in 2027.
A new 38-storey skyscraper that will overshadow South Australia's Parliament has only just been announced but is already dividing political opinions, with the state government labelling it "beautiful" and the Greens instead lambasting it as a "monstrosity".

The new Walker Corporation development will become one of the tallest towers in Adelaide's CBD, reaching 149 metres — dwarfing the three-storey retail building originally planned for the site.

The state government today announced the elevated design for the building, which will be adjacent to an existing tower at the Festival Plaza site.

Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion told ABC Radio Adelaide the skyscraper was "a good deal for a growing state".

"What this second tower does is supercharge the economic, social and cultural life of that plaza," he said.


He said the new tower would have a smaller footprint than the three-storey design, allowing for an extra 800 square metres of public space than previously planned.

"What we will have is a whole lot of people not just looking at the building, but looking out of it, and I think that's when the true cultural importance of this building will really come into view," Mr Champion said.

"Most importantly we will have a lot of office workers there providing a whole lot of life and activity for the retail and hospitality offerings."

Artist generated image of diners sitting at tables overlooking people and trees below.
The state government said Walker Corporation has a "long lease" on the land.(Supplied: SA Government)
The plans include 36 floors of commercial office space, a glass foyer, and two floors for food and beverage retail.

There is also the option for 3,000 square metres of public civic space across four levels which could, the government said, be used for cultural events and performances.

"I think this will be really actually quite a beautiful place to go … this is going to be a place that improves the Riverbank precinct," Mr Champion said.


He said the Walker Corporation had a "long lease" on the land, which it is paying to develop.

Cabinet has approved an agreement to pursue the development, but it still requires planning approval.

Mr Champion said that, subject to those approvals, work on the project would create 1,300 construction and associated jobs during the build, which is expected to start next year and be completed by mid-2027.


Premier Peter Malinauskas said the new development showed the state was "growing up".

"This new tower speaks to the growing confidence in South Australia, which now has the lowest unemployment rate in the country," he said.

'Monstrosity' is a 'dud deal', Greens say
Greens planning spokesperson Robert Simms told ABC Radio Adelaide he was "shocked and disappointed" by the scale of the proposal.

"I just think it's a dud deal for the people of South Australia," he said.

"It just demonstrates actually that our planning system is about the interests of developers rather than the interests of the community as a whole."


He said the area was a "key civic space" which would now be dominated by a "monstrosity".

"If ever there was a symbol of the power of developers in our democracy, this is it: the Walker Corporation totally dominating Festival Plaza," he said.

"Surely there could have been a better use for that space found by the government."

Opposition spokeswoman for urban development Michelle Lensink said there was already a glut of unused office space in Adelaide, and called for the business case for the project to be provided.

"We need to bear in mind, too, that this is public land — it's parklands and it's special so we do need to be making the best possible case for that space," she said.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said she was "disappointed" more office building stock was being created in the city.

"There are already such significant office vacancies in the city post COVID and with so many people still working from home," she said.

"There is genuine concern that this sort of development will damage the value of existing investment, while the location of such a large tower on this public land is overwhelming."


But Urban Development Institute chief executive Liam Golding said Festival Plaza was a "prime location", and that now was the time to build.

"We have a very low unemployment rate, we know we have opportunities with the state government building new industries in defence, in mining and clean energy," he said.

"That's going to hopefully lead to a population increase and more jobs so in the medium term I hope that we will be needing more office space, not less."

Walker Corporation managing director and chief executive David Gallant said the tower would be a "terrific outcome for Adelaide" and a fulfilment of the vision of the company's late co-founder, Lang Walker.

"It reinforces Lang's ultimate goal that Festival Plaza becomes one of the world's most celebrated squares, ensuring it's successfully activated seven days a week, all year round," he said.

[Nort]

This is really a couple of key parts:

There is also the option for 3,000 square metres of public civic space across four levels which could, the government said, be used for cultural events and performances.

The state government said Walker Corporation has a "long lease" on the land.

But Urban Development Institute chief executive Liam Golding said Festival Plaza was a "prime location"

So we have a prime location, of formerly public land, being given without competition to a private developer for a long time and in exchange the state gets the option of vague discussions of maybe having cultural events and performances in it.

It's big and shiny which makes a lot of people ooh and ahh and not pay attention to the details, but there are almost certainly both Labor and Liberal politicians over the last few years who have got some very big and shiny kickbacks from setting up this deal.

[HiTouch]

Greens calling Adelaide "legoland" because of this development is going to backfire. Everyone loves lego, and a legoland sounds great.

[VinyTapestry849]

Greens calling Adelaide "legoland" because of this development is going to backfire. Everyone loves lego, and a legoland sounds great.

Why does the media give them a voice, they're a literally socialists hiding like cowardly pigs behind a shallow and hollow green agenda. They have like 2 seats in parliament, just ignore them

[Nort]

Greens calling Adelaide "legoland" because of this development is going to backfire. Everyone loves lego, and a legoland sounds great.

Why does the media give them a voice, they're a literally socialists hiding like cowardly pigs behind a shallow and hollow green agenda. They have like 2 seats in parliament, just ignore them

But if they had a tall tower you'd be falling over yourself to lick their feet.

[Saltwater]

Festival Towers 1 & 2 will have very limited parking, are very close (as close as you can get) to the railway station that all lines in Adelaide feed into, is close to the tram stop, bus stops, people can walk or cycle or walk along the river. It will be six star energy rated, and companies moving into it will have set climate targets. In short, the Greens opposing such a building is very on-brand for them.

What's the alternative? We build more low-rise business parks in the suburbs, with giant carparks, forcing people into cars?

[Nort]

Festival Towers 1 & 2 will have very limited parking, are very close (as close as you can get) to the railway station that all lines in Adelaide feed into, is close to the tram stop, bus stops, people can walk or cycle or walk along the river. It will be six star energy rated, and companies moving into it will have set climate targets. In short, the Greens opposing such a building is very on-brand for them.

What's the alternative? We build more low-rise business parks in the suburbs, with giant carparks, forcing people into cars?

Good point, let's replace the Elder Park rotunda with an office tower for the same reasons.

The government has been completely opaque in the negotiations and consultations for this development, so yeah, any backlash is gonna be really reactive instead of constructive by its nature.

[abc]

The outlook was ruined with the casino hotel building then made worse with the first festival plaza tower... at this point what difference does it make if another tower on that block is built

[SouthAussie94]

Rewind 15 years and the site where this building and Building 1 stand was public space. It seems to ask why is public space being given up to a developer to build an office tower.

Could the tower not be built on the site of the Riverside Centre? Or between the Intercontinental and North Terrace.

These sites could achieve similar things to the Festival Plaza site with regard to access to public transport, landmark building, etc, whilst still leaving Festival Plaza as a largely public and accessible space

[VinyTapestry849]

Regardless of past troubles and allegedly sus deals, this plan is progressive and good for the area. If It all goes to plan, its going to a fantastic space for the public to enjoy. I think this will really utilize the tram stop to its full potential as a premier destination to enjoy on the limited tram network, and increase foot traffic.

Imagine how full this area will be after a football match!

[abc]

Rewind 15 years and the site where this building and Building 1 stand was public space. It seems to ask why is public space being given up to a developer to build an office tower.

Could the tower not be built on the site of the Riverside Centre? Or between the Intercontinental and North Terrace.

These sites could achieve similar things to the Festival Plaza site with regard to access to public transport, landmark building, etc, whilst still leaving Festival Plaza as a largely public and accessible space

why pay for land when you can get it free

[rev]

Rewind 15 years and the site where this building and Building 1 stand was public space. It seems to ask why is public space being given up to a developer to build an office tower.

Could the tower not be built on the site of the Riverside Centre? Or between the Intercontinental and North Terrace.

These sites could achieve similar things to the Festival Plaza site with regard to access to public transport, landmark building, etc, whilst still leaving Festival Plaza as a largely public and accessible space

I once suggested on here that the whole riverside precinct needed to be knocked down with the exception of parliament (old & new) and the railway/casino building, and started from scratch.
Now that what was an underused & unmaintained eyesore for public space is being redeveloped into a second office tower (and a decent looking proposal it is), people think it's a good idea to knock down things like the riverside centre and build a new office tower there instead.

If only government had the bold vision to properly redevelop the whole area. We'd still have that public space in it's entirety.

The saddest thing isn't losing part of that public space, but that even third world and developing countries are able to redevelop entire precincts instead of the mishmash hodge podge dogs breakfast of a riverside redevelopment we've been served.

[Nort]

Regardless of past troubles and allegedly sus deals, this plan is progressive and good for the area. If It all goes to plan, its going to a fantastic space for the public to enjoy. I think this will really utilize the tram stop to its full potential as a premier destination to enjoy on the limited tram network, and increase foot traffic.

435105555_975002007320198_5053925268786191976_n.jpg

Imagine how full this area will be after a football match!

That "if" in "it all goes to plan" is carrying a lot of weight given the underhanded and misleading way things have happened up to this point.

Hope the space turns out well, really do, but wouldn't bet money on all these lofty aims becoming reality until a minute before that actually happens.

[VinyTapestry849]

Regardless of past troubles and allegedly sus deals, this plan is progressive and good for the area. If It all goes to plan, its going to a fantastic space for the public to enjoy. I think this will really utilize the tram stop to its full potential as a premier destination to enjoy on the limited tram network, and increase foot traffic.

435105555_975002007320198_5053925268786191976_n.jpg

Imagine how full this area will be after a football match!

That "if" in "it all goes to plan" is carrying a lot of weight given the underhanded and misleading way things have happened up to this point.

Hope the space turns out well, really do, but wouldn't bet money on all these lofty aims becoming reality until a minute before that actually happens.

If the government supports it this much, I wouldn't be worried about it not going ahead. However I am worried about Masonic Lodge, the festival tower project is a notable competitor to Masonic, I'm concerned