News & Developments: Bowden TOD

[Patrick_27]

The only thing I've noticed is an increase in the number of people going to the Entertainment Centre venturing into the area to park when there are events on — I assume the price of parking at the centre went up?

That can easily be overcome by council issuing parking permits in small sticker form for residents vehicles, putting up signals advising resident/permit parking only during event days, and then enforcing it.

I would strongly advocate that resident parking permits never see the light day in Bowden. Residents parking on the street is a problem, and should never be encouraged.
Much of the area is timed parking, although I've seen an increase in people clogging up Sixth Street / Second Street around Oddio and the back of the MAB site where there are no restrictions. Just need to send the inspectors around more often (who can also ticket the delivery vans and uber drivers that routinely park where the traffic islands are on Sixth and Fifth Sts)

Whilst it is an issue, I still believe that residents parking on the street is a lesser issue when compared to the scores of outsiders who park at Bowden and take the train or tram into the CBD for work or work hybrid from Plant 4, both of which are a lot more common than one might think (this is also a big issue behind Bloom Cafe in Thebarton). Inspectors are frequenting Bowden more-often and catching out a lot of residents, but on that front, this all comes back to Renewal SA and the State Govt's failing to provide/ensure the necessary amenities for residents in the area, whilst providing a strong population to guarantee the success of such amenities, and the initial push for Bowden to become a first home owners suburb (real estate prices in the area have maxed out first home buyers).

It's a TOD, and yet, most residents own one car or more because they don't have everything they need at their fingertips, as was planned (unless of-course they want to have their hair done at one of the three hair salons in the area), or because they're retirees who have downsized and bought into the area but don't want to part ways with their Audi. These two issues, along with the fact that Plant 4 is a failure on its original concept, that now it's become a glorified foodcourt serving thousands of Bowden outsiders each weekend, and providing itself as a function space most weekend nights (attracting hundreds of car-dependant people from outside). Honestly, if Bowden didn't have the two empty dirt sites providing parking; people wouldn't bother coming into the area or if they did it would be even more of a nightmare.

[Nathan]

It's a TOD, and yet, most residents own one car or more because they don't have everything they need at their fingertips, as was planned (unless of-course they want to have their hair done at one of the three hair salons in the area)

You don't need to convince me of that issue, I've been campaigning around that for years. RenewalSA couldn't even get the concept of there being a difference between "destination" retail/hospo, and what serves locals — and that one encourages car use (particularly from people outside the area), and one reduces the need for it by not requiring residents to drive elsewhere.

[Nathan]

Advertising started for Arc Bowden, on the former Plant 1 site between Fourth and Fifth Streets.

Not sure about their claim of being the "Bowden's last parkfront opportunity", given there are still two other undeveloped lots fronting Park Tce.

https://arcbowden.com.au

[Patrick_27]

Advertising started for Arc Bowden, on the former Plant 1 site between Fourth and Fifth Streets.

Not sure about their claim of being the "Bowden's last parkfront opportunity", given there are still two other undeveloped lots fronting Park Tce.

https://arcbowden.com.au

I live in the neighbouring Park Central, and am glad to see this announced and going up. Hindmarsh Construction who own this site put some concrete bollards just inside the fence some months ago, so I'm not sure whether they're gearing up for immediate site works or what?


As for the other sites you mentioned, I'm not sure what's now planned for the other larger block facing onto Park Terrace, it was touted for a multi-level premium office building (by the same group behind Park Central), but went very quiet? The neighbouring site to Park Central (between Park Tce and Plant 4) that's recent been put on the market by Renewal SA, should be reserved for a footbridge. I realise that there is a shared path adjacent to Bowden Station utilising the underpass. But the pedestrian lights outside this development get a lot of use and I believe there is an argument for better pedestrian connections between the parklands and Plant 4/Bowden/Gasworks, given how many further residents are yet to move into the area.

[Nathan]

I'm not sure what's now planned for the other larger block facing onto Park Terrace, it was touted for a multi-level premium office building (by the same group behind Park Central), but went very quiet?

The last I heard was that it was taken off the market, and is being significantly redone. When it was originally being planned, there was a late-covid demand for office space outside the CBD and it was designed around that market. That demand suddenly evaporated around the time it eventually went to market, and were not able to attract enough interest in the spaces available.

Could have been good for that GP/health-clinic everyone wants in the area, or even the other businesses that have moved in that don't really need ground level tenancies for passing traffic (orthodontist, interior designer, etc), but then I'm not a commercial leasing agent