News & Discussion: General CBD Development

[AtD]

Yesterday's AFR: Two shop sites that were formerly the temporary RAA offices on the ground floor of the 2002 built Mantra on Hindmarsh Sq have been sold as vacant for $2.61m. They are combined 840sqm with 25m of street exposure.

That works out to $3,107/sqm, so don't go telling us that CBD retail is dead.

[crawf]

In other news, RAA has slightly changed their logo.

Looks better IMO

[dsriggs]

The former QANTAS building on North Terrace is soon to be rebranded "MY Budget" house.

Oh my lord, really? Groan!

What's wrong with that? Heaven forbid an Adelaide company get naming rights for a building in Adelaide!

[Prince George]

I know that most of these projects -- such as the new Sturt St apartments or the Common Ground project on Light Square -- have gone into the Low/Mid Rise topic, but I think that it would be good to separate them into their own topic and leave the Low/Mid topic for commercial and market-rate (ie expensive) residential.

In today's AFR, there was an invitation from the Adelaide council for Expressions of Interest for private-sector partners in developing another affordable housing project on Sturt St & Frew St. The advert pointed to the Realty Solutions website for details:

The Adelaide City Council has launched Sturt Living: a major residential based infill development on its open lot car park site at Sturt Street within the prestigious Central Market Precinct in the Adelaide CBD.

Sturt Living requires a construction and development partnership; a private sector partner who can demonstrate to Council it has the experience, capacity, innovation, funding avenues and appetite for such a project.

This project is a major residential growth initiative of Council, where Council will play an active role in the acceleration of residential population growth in the City through both affordable and market housing. Council aim to commence site preparation later this year, with construction commencing by mid 2011 with 80% of the development completed by end 2012 and the balance staged to market demand.

Council may provide a pre-commitment takeout of up to approximately 50% though the innovative ownership of pooled underground car parking, community facilities and the ownership or facilitation of the affordable housing elements of the project.

Aim of this Expression of Interest Process
The aim of this Stage 1 EOI is to shortlist a small number of organisations or consortia whom the Adelaide City Council will invite to participate in a subsequent Stage 2 Request for Proposal to undertake the Sturt Living Project.

Some extra details from the print ad:

• 72 affordable dwellings
• 110 bay car park "and other community facilities"
• approximately 112 at-market dwellings

It's not clear if the 110 parking-spaces are just for the affordable housing, or if that includes the parking for the 112 at-market houses. 110 parking spaces for 72 dwellings in the middle of the most transportation rich part of the city has me shaking my head; 110 spaces for 180+ dwellings sounds like progress.

[SRW]

Well, now, are these 110 car parks shared between the 72 affordable and 112 at-market dwellings? That works out 110 spaces for 184 dwellings, which would not be terrible.

Though I'm a little disappointed that in such a 'prestigious area' on such a prime plot they are intending to build only 184 dwellings, especially when the entire project is conceived as a way to boost the city-centre population. Build up!

[Alyx]

TORRENS riverbank land immediately west of the Morphett St bridge is the likely site for a new Adelaide Casino.

Relocating to a new purpose-built casino complex overlooking the Torrens Lake is the subject of confidential post-election talks between the State Government and casino management - with both parties bent on progressing the much-talked about riverbank precinct into a "a major tourist and entertainment hub".

A key feature of a new casino complex is likely to be underground parking for several thousand cars, which would potentially solve parking issues for a redeveloped Adelaide Oval.

The Sunday Mail can report:

TREASURER Kevin Foley has confirmed he has been in renewed talks with the casino over a waterfront redevelopment, noting casino management has "exciting ideas".

WATER features and light shows are part of developing plans to turn the Torrens Lake area into an entertainment hub.

DISCUSSIONS have included options for either a boisterous Las Vegas-style resort and a more discreet European-style gambling plaza but the consensus appears to be a more home-grown development incorporating plenty of alfresco dining and walkways to take advantage of the outdoor-friendly climate.

THE LOCATION just west of the Morphett St bridge overlooking the Torrens Lake is regarded as the best site for a new casino-hotel-entertainment venue.

RELOCATING the casino creates new opportunities for transforming the historic Adelaide Railway Station.

Casino general manager David Christian this week said the casino wanted to be part of a new riverside entertainment precinct linked to the redeveloped Adelaide Oval and new Royal Adelaide Hospital in the western railyards.

"Adelaide Casino is one of several major businesses that call the riverbank precinct home and fully supports the idea of turning the area into a major tourist and entertainment hub," Mr Christian said.

"We believe that Adelaide deserves a bigger casino but there is due process to work through before we finalise any plans and present them to the State Government." Mr Foley revealed during a recent business lunch speech he had been in talks with casino management but declined to elaborate on Friday, before heading overseas on a defence trade mission.

He has made a series of speeches recently - speeches which have praised Melbourne's Southbank development, which has the Crown Casino as one of its key attractions.

Last month, Mr Foley told an American Chamber of Commerce lunch the CBD was "underdone".

"We need to be more pro-development," he said.

At another function, he said: "Do we really want to see Adelaide in 10 years' time with a River Torrens precinct that is like going for a stroll in an Outback town where no one has any money or interest in developing something?"

In May 2009, the Sunday Mail reported two construction consortiums were working on plans to present to SkyCity for new casinos at two landmark sites: Either on the Torrens river bank or on the current RAH site.

Casino operator SkyCity Adelaide previously has confirmed it wants to move from the heritage-listed Adelaide Railway Station site into bigger, purpose-built premises incorporating a hotel, with chief executive Nigel Morrison telling investors Adelaide deserved a bigger casino.

In 2008, casino management shelved plans for a $30 million underground car park at its current railway station location, as it looked at "conceptual" plans to relocate.

In 2001, Adelaide developers revealed detailed plans for a $200 million, 22-storey hotel with casino and 240 apartments on the railyards site, and revived them in 2006, but failed to win Government support.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5887508271

[yousername]

Uni has plans on RAH site
From: The Advertiser July 09, 2010 7:47pm
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5889985326

THE University of Adelaide wants to take over buildings on the Royal Adelaide Hospital site after the hospital moves to the city's West End.

The university is also planning to expand its presence on the city side of North Terrace.

The plans were revealed through a Freedom of Information request to the university by Opposition spokeswoman on heritage, Michelle Lensink.

Ms Lensink said her request was at first turned down by the university, but that was overruled on appeal to the State Ombudsman.

The business case, prepared by the university's Division of Services and Resources Finance Committee, is heavily blanked out but deals mainly with the plan to demolish the university's Union Hall - currently subject to an interim heritage protection order.

It includes a plan to "pursue use of hospital buildings when RAH relocates."

It also wants to take over the multi-floor carpark at the rear of the hospital site.

There is a plan to consolidate the School of Law with Business School, Economics and Education on the city side of North Terrace between Pulteney and Frome Roads where the University owns or leases most of the buildings.

There is a further plan to relocate the university's Dental School on a Frome Road site in the city owned by the university.

Other plans include enclosing the treed courtyard on the north side of the Napier Building to create a humanities and social sciences student hub.

Aside from the demolition of Union Hall and its replacement with a larger physics building, the plan shows three or four new buildings on the existing campus.

[Will]

From the Advertiser:

June commercial property sales top $75 million, the highest for 2009-2010

SARAH MARTIN From: The Advertiser July 13, 2010 11:39AM

THE financial year has finished on a high note, with June recording the highest number of sales and leasing deals for the year.


More than $75 million in property changed hands during June, led by the $29 million sale of 45 Grenfell St negotiated by Colliers International and Knight Frank.

The Grenfell St tower was bought by a syndicate of private Adelaide commercial property investors, led by LJ Hooker Commercial director Mario Bonomi.

The industrial sector experienced a last-minute flurry of sales activity for the year, with the $3.5 million sale of Ann Street in Salisbury, negotiated by CB Richard Ellis, topping industrial results. Eighteen industrial properties changed hands in the month, totalling $20.6 million.

CB Richard Ellis manager for industrial, David Ludlow, said the year had finished well in the industrial sector as deals that had been worked on for many months were signed off.

"I think the focus has shifted away from business consolidating and surviving and the real focus now is getting on with business and expanding and making money," Mr Ludlow said.

"Confidence is at a level now where there are tenants out there that are buying non-income producing sites, whereas last year there wasn't much of that around."

Private developer Renfrey Equipment Hire, who bought the Burton site, is now in negotiation with a tenant for a "design and construct" property on the site.

"We are dealing with two very large design and construct requirements at the moment which came to the market in the last three months, and certainly that sort of requirement was not around last year," Mr Ludlow said.

On the leasing front, Hills Industries' new building on Port Road at Hindmarsh led the commercial deals for the month - a deal negotiated by Colliers International and Matheson Property.

The highest value retail leasing deal for the month was for a 118sq m Jetty Road, Glenelg retail tenancy which was leased by Intrepid Property for $423 a square metre. A slightly larger retail tenancy on Jetty Road was leased for $416 a square metre.

In June, 46 sales and 55 leasing deals were reported - the highest number of deals for the year. Commercial sales totalled $51.6 million, industrial sales $20 million and retail $3.1 million.

About 21,000sq m of industrial area swapped hands in June and 9000sq m of commercial space was leased.

The highest rent for a commercial property was secured by Savills for a 590sq m property on Glen Osmond Road in Parkside for $261.90.

The end of financial year results come as preliminary research from Colliers International shows office vacancy rates beginning to decline.

Colliers manager of research Katy Dean said vacancy rates were expected to drop slightly in July to between 6.8 and 7 per cent. By July 2011, the vacancy rate is expected to fall below 6 per cent

[stumpjumper]

Skyliner and AtD - the Over Fifty Group is a listed public company which was formed out of the demutualised Over Fifties Friendly Society which began in the 1980's. OFG controls a couple of investment companies which manage funds of high net worth punters, Century Funds Mgmt and Eclipse Property Group, plus a a mortgage broker and a funeral plan.

They buy high quality properties.

[yousername]

Developer: Build city upwards and they will come
STUART INNES From: The Advertiser July 15, 2010 7:40pm

THE city of Adelaide needs to grow upward, not outward, and attract more people back into the city centre, developer Jack Hines said last night.

The Hines Group chairman said that strategy would "give the city of Adelaide more life".

"The one square mile of Adelaide itself has an enormous potential to continue to grow in a modern, pleasing manner which does not disturb the genuinely historical buildings of the city," he said.

Mr Hines was speaking at the official opening of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, part of the Hines Group's $150 million development facing the northeast corner of Hindmarsh Square.

The 15-storey hotel of 308 guest rooms, a ballroom, restaurant, lounge and bar plus fitness centre adjoins an 89-apartment residential tower.

Mr Hines said the "incredible developments in the state" had led to a need for a first-class business hotel, which tourists would enjoy.

"It's Adelaide's first purpose-built international-branded five-star hotel since 1987 when the Hyatt (now the InterContinental, on North Terrace) was built," Mr Hines said.

The Crowne Plaza hotel opened some floors in April, with 110 employees.

It has since opened more and today employs 150.

Officially opening the hotel last night, Premier Mike Rann said it came at a time when South Australia was recording growth in visitor demand and spending that easily outstripped national averages.

In the 12 months to March, spending by domestic visitors staying in SA had been up 13 per cent, against nil growth nationally, he said.

The 8.1 million nights spent in South Australia in that 12 months by international visitors had been a record and up 14 per cent against the nation's 5 per cent.

"Adelaide's hotel occupancy rate for the March quarter was the highest ever recorded," Mr Rann said, noting the strength of Adelaide's major events as a drawcard.

Crowne Plaza general manager Brendon Meppem said the hotel was already enjoying strong demand for accommodation, conferences and events as well as for its restaurant dining.

[AtD]

Skyliner and AtD - the Over Fifty Group is a listed public company which was formed out of the demutualised Over Fifties Friendly Society which began in the 1980's. OFG controls a couple of investment companies which manage funds of high net worth punters, Century Funds Mgmt and Eclipse Property Group, plus a a mortgage broker and a funeral plan.

They buy high quality properties.

Thanks. I had assumed it was a super fund.

[Prince George]

(I didn't see a better place for this to go - can anyone suggest one?)

While riding down Sturt St a few days ago, I noticed that the factory (I think) at 43-69 Sturt St is for sale. This is a big piece of land, and right across the street from the site of a future affordable housing development. If this followed suit (meaning mid-rise housing, although more affordable housing would be awesome) what a huge change that would be along Sturt St.

[Ben]

(I didn't see a better place for this to go - can anyone suggest one?)

While riding down Sturt St a few days ago, I noticed that the factory (I think) at 43-69 Sturt St is for sale. This is a big piece of land, and right across the street from the site of a future affordable housing development. If this followed suit (meaning mid-rise housing, although more affordable housing would be awesome) what a huge change that would be along Sturt St.

This land goes all the way through to Gilbert Street and actually has 4 street frontages. I saw it the other day and straight away I was concerned it will be filled with 2 - 3 level townhouses. I hope i'm wrong.

[Prince George]

Like the ones on Draper Mews? Yes, I suppose that is a possibility. I hadn't noticed Draper Mews before, went searching for some info on them and found this court decision from back in 2004. At a glance, someone building in one of those plots wanted to build somwhat taller than the adjacent buildings, had their application rejected, and took it to appeal. It's actually kinda interesting to read through it - although I've really done no more than glance at it - though it does indicate that solar access would be a limit on what could actually be built on this other site.

[Wayno]

This property is in the residential 'Whitmore East' zone. The Dev Plan allows for up to 5 levels on Sturt St frontage under certain circumstances.

RA8 RESIDENTIAL (WHITMORE EAST) ZONE
The desired character, objective and principles of development control that follow apply to the Residential (Whitmore East) Zone shown on Maps Adel/24 and 30 and Fig RA/8. They are additional to those expressed for the whole of Council area and in cases of apparent conflict, take precedence over the more general provisions. In the assessment of development, the greatest weight is to be applied to satisfying the desired character for the Zone.

Desired Character
The Zone provides an area of transition in activities, scale, intensity, character and built form from the medium scale and intensity commercial development of the Policy Areas in the adjacent Mixed Use Zone to the lesser scale and intensity residential environment towards Whitmore Square.

The improvement of the fragmented townscape and amenity of the Zone will be achieved through the redevelopment of large, under-utilised or blighted sites, with medium to high density dwellings and mixed use developments. The continuity of facades along street frontages is to be re-established, and an increasingly residential character created towards Whitmore Square.

A safe and attractive pedestrian environment is to be provided throughout the Zone, and access between Whitmore Square, the South Park Lands and the Central Market improved. Pedestrian amenity and shelter provided by street trees and other landscaping will be progressively improved.

Traffic will generally be limited to local access and visitor needs.

OBJECTIVE
Development that strengthens, achieves and is consistent with the desired character for the Zone.

PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
1 Development should strengthen, achieve and be consistent with the desired character for the Zone.
2 Medium to high density dwellings are desirable. A range of non-residential activities such as further education, research laboratories, cafes and restaurants, offices, consulting rooms and retail may be appropriate in the eastern part of the Zone provided they are compatible with residential amenity. Nursing homes are also appropriate throughout.
3 The existing built form character ranges from small groups of nineteenth century dwellings and shops to large and often insensitively developed commercial properties. The traditional townscapes, with their intensive low scale and close pattern of development, together with their cohesive built form qualities, should be conserved. The townscapes comprise single-storey attached and detached cottages, row cottages, small terrace houses and the occasional shop or commercial building of a similar style and character. Buildings are typically of masonry construction and exhibit a consistency of fenestration, pitched roof profiles and verandah styles.
4 Development should acknowledge, by careful design, the prevailing frontage, scale, siting, subdivision pattern, roof forms and facade composition of existing development. Buildings should express the desired residential character of the Zone in the design of facades and roof forms, and the choice of building materials.
5 Long blank walls and elevations unrelieved by architectural detail should be avoided.
6 Redevelopment of vacant or under-developed sites should produce intricate, modelled frontages interspersed with lanes and internal courtyards appropriate to a Residential Zone.
7 The adaptation of existing warehouses and industrial premises by the use of architectural elements which suggest a more residential character is appropriate.
8 Basic plot ratio: 1.2, Maximum plot ratio: 2.0, Bonus plot ratio: 0.8
9 Bonus plot ratio can be achieved by the means set out in relevant Council Wide Principles and also for the provision of a nursing home where the bonus building floor area is equal to the building floor area used exclusively for that purpose.
10 Except on the Sturt Street frontages, buildings should not:
(a) exceed 4 building levels; or
(b) locate a ceiling more than 12 metres above the median natural or finished ground level at any point or any part of a building.
On the Sturt Street frontages, buildings should not:
(a) exceed 5 building levels; or
(b) locate a ceiling more than 15 metres above the median natural or finished ground level at any point or any part of a building.
However development on Sturt Street should not exceed two storeys where the existing townscape context requires a lower scale and development of infill sites on minor streets should not exceed three storeys where adjacent residential amenity is likely to be detrimentally affected.
11 Development should achieve a minimum height of 2 storeys on Sturt Street to help define the street space, and enhance its townscape role as the major axis linking Hurtle and Whitmore Squares.
12 Development in minor streets should be of a lower scale and intensity appropriate to the desired residential activity and to the public spaces on to which it faces.
13 The scale of development should be sensitive to existing cohesive groups of adjoining residential buildings.
14 Building set-backs from front and side boundaries should be minimal, except where a consistent set-back is established by the existing pattern of development.
15 A minimum of 10 percent landscaped open space should be provided on the site of any development. Each dwelling in a development should provide a private landscaped open space of at least 13 square metres.
16 Set-back requirements from boundaries will determine the position of landscaped open space. Such space should primarily consist of rear yards and internal landscaped space within residential sites.
17 Where development is sited on the street frontages of property boundaries, and particularly on street corners, posted verandahs or balconies over the footpath are appropriate.
18 Vehicle access should preferably be from minor streets and lanes, and should avoid disruption to built form on the street frontages.
19 Car parking should be sited behind main buildings away from the major street frontages or designed as an integral part of buildings on the site.
20 Advertisements should be compatible with the overall residential character sought for the Zone, and their impact should decrease in terms of size, colour, illumination and prominence with increasing distance from King William Street.
21 Internal illumination of advertisements is appropriate only on the major streets and where advertisements are located beneath verandahs and awnings. Otherwise only external illumination of advertisements will be considered.
22 Illumination of advertisements should not detrimentally affect residential amenity.

COMPLYING DEVELOPMENT
The following kinds of development are complying:
(a) Temporary depot for Council for a period of no more than 3 months provided appropriate provision is made for:
dust control;
screening, including landscaping;
containment of litter and water; and
securing the site.

NON-COMPLYING DEVELOPMENT
24 The following kinds development are non-complying:

(a) A change of use to any of the following:
Adult entertainment premises
Adult products and services premises
Amusement machine centre
Auditorium
Car park except where ancillary to an approved or existing use
Cinema
Clinic
Conference centre
Hospital
Industry except light industry
Licensed entertainment premises
Passenger terminal
Road transport terminal
Service trade premises not within a building
Theatre
Transport depot

(b) A change of use to any of the following, except for a change of use from an existing noncomplying use:
Day centre (other than a child care centre)
Emergency shelter
Light industry
Service industry
Warehouse
(c) Building work involving any of the following:
Development which exceeds the maximum plot ratio or which exceeds the basic plot ratio without following the bonus mechanisms.
Development which exceeds both four building levels and locates a ceiling more than 12 metres above the median natural or finished ground level at any point or any part of a building except on the Sturt Street frontage.
Development on the Sturt Street frontage which exceeds both five building levels and locates a ceiling more than 15 metres above the median natural or finished ground level at any point or any part of a building.
Demolition of a State heritage place, Local heritage place (City Significance) or of the frontage and side wall returns visible from the street of a Local heritage place (Townscape).

(d) Advertisements involving any of the following:
Animation
Third party advertising
Advertisements at roof level where the sky or another building forms the background when viewed at ground level.

LOCAL HERITAGE PLACES (TOWNSCAPE)
14-14a Hamilton Place Attached Houses 4340/318
17 Hamilton Place House 1993/26
18 Hamilton Place Attached House 1577/72
18a-20 Hamilton Place Attached Houses 2405/179, 2405/178
15 Russell Street Row House 3229/39
17 Russell Street Row House 3266/191
19 Russell Street Row House 3229/40
31 Russell Street House 3558/126
1 -7a Stafford Street
22 – 26 Owen Street
Row Houses 1907/32
11 Stafford Street House 3236/12
94 Sturt Street,
33-39 Russell Street
Former Hotel 3558/129
117-121 Sturt Street Attached Houses 4216/133; 3823/11
122 Sturt Street House 2581/7
124 Sturt Street House 2297/152
89 Wright Street
2-4 Russell Street
Former Shop 1920/9
119-121 Wright Street Former Row Houses 4245/891-893