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

[monotonehell]

The longer this decision to approve takes, the worse it looks for this development. The north adelaide power brokers would be pressuring the government ministers and spin doctors to reject the proposal at every opportunity.

On the information available, I think the development is well balanced and would add very much to the vibrance and vitality of O'Connel street. But vibrance and vitality are a long way down the priorities for those members of the ultra-conservative north adelaide clique.

Yes we've been over and over these points, to the point that this thread was locked in order to cool off a while ago. Unless you have something new and concrete to add please stop beating the dead horse. (no matter whether I agree with you or not)

[Howie]

Le Cornu construction approved
Source : ABC News - http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008 ... 367930.htm




The South Australian Government has given final approval for the construction of a six-storey retail and apartment complex on the former Le Cornu site in North Adelaide.

The final design is smaller than an earlier nine-storey proposal put forward by the developer, Makris Group, but is still double the number of levels allowed by the council.

The O'Connell Street site has been vacant for about 20 years.

Several development plans were rejected before the State Government granted Makris Group major development status last year.

Planning Minister Paul Holloway says the company will have to meet extra requirements for construction to start.

'There's additional car parking spaces, additional bike parking spaces, there's more provision made for sustainability within the building," he said.

"There's some screening at the back, some provision for climbing plants and so on to address the bulk of the building.

"So there'll be a number of changes that will be required that have come out of a result of this very long assessment process."

AUDIO
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/ ... lloway.mp3
* Audio: Urban Deveolpment Minister Paul Holloway on the Govt's approval of development of the Le Cornu site. (ABC News)

[bm7500]

Awesome News!!!!!

Sounds like the plans got through largley unscathed

A victory for good design and common sense and sucked in to the North Adelaide NIMBY's

Can't wait for this one to start!

[Wayno]

cue the nimby posters...

[kenget]

Contrary to what Cr Moron says, I think this is awesome news for the community!

[joshzxzx]

THE State Government's approval of development on the former Le Cornu site in North Adelaide has been attacked by the Town Hall as politically motivated.

After 20 years of procrastination and failed development bids, the State Government today gave final approval to plans for the O'Connell St site.

The Adelaide City Council rejected several applications, before the State Government stepped in and granted the Makris Group's plan major development status last year.

The successful six-storey design is twice the number of levels the council said it would permit.

Adelaide City councillor Anne Moran said Premier Mike Rann was scoring cheap political points by attacking the council over the site.

"Council was a bit peeved it was taken away from us when we hadn't really show any inaction, it was just the developers did not develop after we approved," she said.

"They did want to amend to make it higher, but we said no because it was still a sensitive, low height area and so they went to the Government."

She questioned why the Government was so keen to fast-track the project given it was just an apartment and retail complex.

"The economy of South Australia does not hang on Mr Makris making a windfall gain on the site," she said.

"It is good something is going ahead. But the real problem I have is the process. This sends a message to all developers that you don't have to bother with the council – we are more rigorous than going straight to the Minister.

"You just have to jump up and down and if the Government doesn't like the particular council you're dealing with, then it goes through this process.

"They thumbed their nose at the whole democratic process.

"It smacks of one rule for some and one rule for others.

"The developers are now holding all the cards and can do what they like as long as they have a friendly government."

Acting Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor Sue Clearihan said she had not seen the final design approved by the Government, but hoped the six levels were located towards the centre of the site to reduce the visual impact.

She said it made no difference what the council thought, as the Government had taken any planning decision of its hands last year when it gave the project major development status.

"Using that legislation, they took it away from the council and the Minister would have made the final determination," she said.

"Council continues to assert that it was never council that was responsible for holding up any development on the former Le Cornu site.

"Nor was it the fault of any of the residents. There were many approvals granted for the site. It was always the developer who failed to get the project started."

Makris Group director Con Makris has called a media conference for 2.30pm at the site.



Planning Minister Paul Holloway said today the company would have to tweak its design to include "additional car parking spaces, additional bike parking spaces... more provision made for sustainability within the building".

"There's some screening at the back, some provision for climbing plants and so on to address the bulk of the building," Mr Holloway told ABC Online.

"So there'll be a number of changes that will be required that have come out of a result of this very long assessment process."

A Google Maps vertical view of the vacant lot on O'Connell St


View Larger Map

The Makris Group and its associated companies have donated more than $180,000 to the Labor Party, it was revealed last year.

The development firm was the second biggest donor to Labor last financial year, only being outspent by party funding body ALP Holdings.

In May 2007, the Rann Government stepped in and awarded major development status to the Makris Group's revised $150 million proposal for the O'Connell St site.

It was the second Makris project to be fast-tracked by the Government early last year.

Premier Mike Rann used the announcement at the time to attack the Adelaide City Council over years of inaction.

North Adelaide residents also last year accused the Government of a major backflip in its decision to grant the site major project status.

North Adelaide Society chairman Ed Briedis said Planning Minister Paul Holloway told him before the 2006 election, the site never would be declared a major project .

[Will]

This is great news! A great victory for progress and a crushing defeat for the forces of negativity which for so long have dominated this city.

The Le Cornu site along with some others serve as negative monuments. Monuments which people use as evidence to verify their claims that Adelaide is stagnant. It is great that this monument to innaction will soon dissapear. However I hope that the site will remain as a monument, however this time as one to proclaim that Adelaide is on the move!

[bm7500]

This is great news! A great victory for progress and a crushing defeat for the forces of negativity which for so long have dominated this city.

The Le Cornu site along with some others serve as negative monuments. Monuments which people use as evidence to verify their claims that Adelaide is stagnant. It is great that this monument to innaction will soon dissapear. However I hope that the site will remain as a monument, however this time as one to proclaim that Adelaide is on the move!

Well said Will

[kernelpanic]

There's something bittersweet about this to me.

I'm nothing less than thrilled to see a development of this scale anywhere in Adelaide, but particularly that it should finally occur at this site. But I'm a little disappointed at the neo-something pastiche style of building that they've designed for the site. I know it needs to be in keeping with the rest of North Adelaide, but what a tremendous opoortunity for something iconic and representative of contemporary Adelaide! Instead it seems to hark back to the old Adelaide establishment sandstone, neo-Georgian, faux-Tuscan imagined Adelaide of the past.

No doubt there will be plenty who disagree with me, and for whom large scale development has intrinsic merit regardless of style and creativity, but I still hope for contemporary Adelaide to be represented in its new architecture.

[Will Derwent]

I think this is awesome news! Hopefully the developers can work on getting some high quality boutique brand stores into the development like QVB in Sydney or fifth avenue in NY. (Or at least like a very small part of fifth avenue.)

[ynotsfables]

Hey Hey you know what can i say.
"Live long and prosper" a good friend of mine with pointy ears once said.

[Norman]

Woohoo! *takes bra off*

[Shuz]

Finally, we can rejoice!

[jk1237]

hooray, excellent news. Yes, parts of North Adelaide have a great village charm that needs to be protected, but this section of O'Connell st aint one of them, considering there are already two 8-10 level buildings 100 mtrs down the street, and its an arterial road.

[how_good_is_he]

Shame no 6-star hotel or cinemas ...hopefully Makris engineers the top floor so he can add another three storeys in ten years when all the critics are dead.