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

[AtD]

Makris said this morning that he remains 'committed to the project'. There may be a word missing there: he didn't say 'committed to building the project'.

As opposed to what?

[how_good_is_he]

Why would or could the building even start considering there has been no marketing for the apartments or retail? Until there are firm pre commitments why would the banks lend the money or the developer want to start? Construction is really the final process. Allow 6 months after sales/leasing targets are met to start construction.

[skyliner]

Makris said this morning that he remains 'committed to the project'. There may be a word missing there: he didn't say 'committed to building the project'.

As opposed to what?

Read Will's post from 24/4/10. What do you make of that in this context?

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[stumpjumper]

skyliner - no post from Will on this 24/4/10; if you mean Will's post 27/4/10 where the Messenger quotes Con Makris as saying that they will be seeking reg of interest soon, then that may be consistent with the guy from the Makris Group's opinion that no start was planned for the near future.

That doesn't stop Makris and Brock from trawling for interested buyers, even if he is considering selling the project on. People may want to be listed as potential buyers, although it seems there are as yet no plans for them to choose from, so it can be no more than a registration of nothing more than interest. I have no more idea than anyone else what Makris' intentions are.

[skyliner]

Sorry Stumpjumper - I meant 21st - typing error.

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[stumpjumper]

skyliner, I looked at Will's two posts from 21/4. If you mean the one where he quotes the Advertiser:

Finally, work will start on old Le Cornu site

AARON MacDONALD From: The Advertiser April 21, 2010 12:01AM...

If you read that full quote carefully, Makris says everything BUT when construction of the actual project will start. The ball is very squarely in Makris' court now - it has been for some time. Let's hope he gets it together.

[skyliner]

Interesting that he says, 'development .....will begin tomorrow'. It all hinges on what he and we mean by 'development' and 'tomorrow'. (in the same article
posted by Will on 21/4/10). Inferences to me further into the article seem to be 'developed' on this first sentence.

I also confess all this is affected by both his and our biases as to what is really meant. As an english teacher, using such understandings, it seems to complicate more often than help, though in the financial and law circles it is critical. (Intended and/or double entendres I believe - said to portray one meaning but allow another so as to leave the speaker of such free of problems should they ensue).

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Norman]

Some old videos I dug up and uploaded, both are from back in 2008:

[stumpjumper]

Regardless of what happens to the site, it's a pity that issues of negligence and insurance don't allow the regulations to require that vacant city land undeveloped after say 12 months be levelled and compacted and used for carparking until building starts, or even be loamed and grassed and left unfenced as public open space.

[Hippodamus]

good on you mr. makris

most other developers would have thrown the towel in long ago and sold the site to someone else but you kept at it and will achieve something which all south australians will be proud of.

some of the residents in north adelaide are pathetic to put it bluntly, along with the Councillors like Anne Moran.. twats!

cheers to a successful and vibrant project!!

[jk1237]

he needs to actually build it before I give this guy any commendations. Ive always been on his side and against Moran, but Ive recently detected that something seems a bit fishy with this makris organisation

GET ON WITH IT

[how_good_is_he]

Its naive to blame the developer for a project not "starting". The amount of work involved prior to construction can take longer than the actual construction. All the final plans etc have to be done now in exacting detail [and tendered/costed] so it can being offered to the buyers/retail tenants.
Further, this project [or any other] won't start until the banks lend the money, the banks won't lend the money until there is significant pre-commitment [both for the retail & apartments] and for this to happen enough people have to actually put down THEIR money.
If you are really concerned about this project not starting/being too slow, the thing to do is not whinge but actually invest in it when the marketing starts [which I guarantee the critics won't]. I think that some fail to understand that it will be up to the people [ie YOU] when this thing gets built, not the developer!

[monotonehell]

Its naive to blame the developer for a project not "starting". The amount of work involved prior to construction can take longer than the actual construction. All the final plans etc have to be done now in exacting detail [and tendered/costed] so it can being offered to the buyers/retail tenants.
Further, this project [or any other] won't start until the banks lend the money, the banks won't lend the money until there is significant pre-commitment [both for the retail & apartments] and for this to happen enough people have to actually put down THEIR money.
If you are really concerned about this project not starting/being too slow, the thing to do is not whinge but actually invest in it when the marketing starts [which I guarantee the critics won't]. I think that some fail to understand that it will be up to the people [ie YOU] when this thing gets built, not the developer!

While all true, in this case because of all the anti-council noise that the developer makes, it's not naive to call him out. He seems to blame the council for all that you mention above.

[Ben]

Its naive to blame the developer for a project not "starting". The amount of work involved prior to construction can take longer than the actual construction. All the final plans etc have to be done now in exacting detail [and tendered/costed] so it can being offered to the buyers/retail tenants.
Further, this project [or any other] won't start until the banks lend the money, the banks won't lend the money until there is significant pre-commitment [both for the retail & apartments] and for this to happen enough people have to actually put down THEIR money.
If you are really concerned about this project not starting/being too slow, the thing to do is not whinge but actually invest in it when the marketing starts [which I guarantee the critics won't]. I think that some fail to understand that it will be up to the people [ie YOU] when this thing gets built, not the developer!

I disagree. You can see the difference between projects like this one and the recent Uno apartments which went on sale 3 months ago and construction is starting this month. Prior to about December last year no one had heard of the project. This Makris project has been around in various stages for 20 years. If the developer (Makris) wants to build something he will, simple as that. He is waiting for something. Probably to Sell the land off at a premium to someone else. All of their developoments are cheap, tacky and underwhelming. Just look accross the road at North Adelaide village. It's an absolute disgrace for the area. then you have City Cross, another waste of space with everythign done on the cheap. I would rather no development then some tacky eyesore... again!!

[contractor]

Its naive to blame the developer for a project not "starting". The amount of work involved prior to construction can take longer than the actual construction. All the final plans etc have to be done now in exacting detail [and tendered/costed] so it can being offered to the buyers/retail tenants.
Further, this project [or any other] won't start until the banks lend the money, the banks won't lend the money until there is significant pre-commitment [both for the retail & apartments] and for this to happen enough people have to actually put down THEIR money.
If you are really concerned about this project not starting/being too slow, the thing to do is not whinge but actually invest in it when the marketing starts [which I guarantee the critics won't]. I think that some fail to understand that it will be up to the people [ie YOU] when this thing gets built, not the developer!

I disagree. You can see the difference between projects like this one and the recent Uno apartments which went on sale 3 months ago and construction is starting this month. Prior to about December last year no one had heard of the project. This Makris project has been around in various stages for 20 years. If the developer (Makris) wants to build something he will, simple as that. He is waiting for something. Probably to Sell the land off at a premium to someone else. All of their developoments are cheap, tacky and underwhelming. Just look accross the road at North Adelaide village. It's an absolute disgrace for the area. then you have City Cross, another waste of space with everythign done on the cheap. I would rather no development then some tacky eyesore... again!!

Right on the ball. Makris only cares about the $. He has poor taste in architecture and has single handedly transformed O'Connell Street from a potentially sophisticated entrance to the city into a fanciful surburban shopping centre.