News & Discussion: General CBD Development

[Will]

From the Messenger:

New market launched at Hindmarsh Square

Local News21 Apr 11 @ 06:00am by Jessica Whiting

STALLS: Face-painting, live music and a bouncy castle helped launch the new Hindmarsh Square outdoor market on the weekend. About 70 stalls set up in the south-east corner of the square, with traders selling clothing, wine, jewellery and arts and crafts. Adelaide Stallholder Inc secretary Susan Jovanovich told the City Messenger that traders were excited, with many offering opening day specials. The market was conceived by stallholders from the former Rundle St Market which was axed by the City Council earlier this year. The group won a $10,000 grant from the council to help promote the new-look trading spot. The market will trade from the leafy square each Sunday between 9am and 4pm.

For information visit http://www.marketsquareadelaide.com.au

[Nathan]

I hope the market is better than that hideous website/flyer. Yowch!

[peas_and_corn]

I hope the market is better than that hideous website/flyer. Yowch!

Yeah, it has too much of a 'Wordart' feel to it. I also hope that it feels a bit more improvised, not with identical tents in a row like the other market.

[stumpjumper]

Trading was allowed in Rundle Mall today (Tuesday 26/4/11) 'as an experiment' by an extremely reluctant government whose shopping hours policy is dictated by Mr Peter Manilauskas of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA).

Manilauskas consistently claims that trading restrictions are required in order "to give retail staff a break". He won't discuss the concept of casual and part-time employment which is prevalent in the [non-SDA] hospitality industry.

This requirement doesn't exist in retail hardware, furnishing and motor parts, nor does it stop entrepreneurs from hiring a hall at Wayville Showground to hold a huge book sale on Good Friday.

Rundle Mall traders are reporting excellent figures, with a lot of tourists out and about (as far as I could tell, anyway).

When is SA going to free up trading in the CBD? Jetty Road, Glenelg is a 'designated tourism precinct' with unrestricted trading, but the SDA is adamant that the CBD is NOT a tourism precinct. Mr Manilauskas has told me himself: "Tourists might arrive in the city or sleep there, but the CBD is not a tourism precinct. They leave their hotels to go to the Barossa or Kangaroo Island - THEY are tourism precincts."

I asked him "How is Adelaide Oval ever going to work if people leave a fixture on say a Sunday and find the city closed and dead?"

The reply: "Well, as I said, the CBD is not a tourism precinct. There are plenty of other places people can go after a match."

How will anyone get past this union, given that it controls not just shopping hours but the government itself? It will have to happen.

[AtD]

By "government" I assume you mean the state ALP.

[Waewick]

Unions like and political body always go too far with too much power - CBD is a tourist destination because in the minds of every tourist in the world...you head to the CBD of the city that you are visiting - especially when the CBD has a large shooping precinct lke the Mall and entertainment areas like Gouger and Hindley Street.

People like him need to be exiled from this state.

[UrbanSG]

Application lodged for the upgrade of 30 Pirie Street Adelaide. Should be mostly internal works to improve the energy rating of the building but a significant upgarde given the size of the building:

Type: Complying Development
Application Number: DA/319/2011
Lodgement Date: 21/04/2011
Location: TELSTRA BUILDING, 22-38 Pirie Street, ADELAIDE SA 5000
Description: Internal fit-out levels 1 to 23 & base building

This from Investa's website last year:

One of Australia’s largest owners of commercial real estate, Investa Property Group, has entered into a new lease agreement with Telstra for 30 Pirie Street in Adelaide.

The new arrangement is for an 11 year lease and covers 24,780m2.

30 Pirie Street, Adelaide is jointly owned by two unlisted retail funds managed by Investa;
o Investa Diversified Office Fund (IDOF) and
o Investa Fifth Commercial Trust (I5CT).

As part of the new lease, Investa will re-position 30 Pirie Street to an A-grade standard.

Investa will refurbish and upgrade the building, significantly enhancing both the appearance and the performance of the property.

Fund Manager of IDOF, Grant Nichols commented: “Investa will upgrade the foyer, the base building services including the lifts and air conditioning, and install new environmentally efficient lighting. We expect that these works will significantly improve the environmental credentials of the building.”

General Manager of Investa’s Retail Funds and Fund Manager of I5CT, Mark Lumby commented: “This is a great outcome for the unitholders in Investa’s suite of retail funds. The unitholders will benefit from a new long term lease to a blue chip tenant.“

Investa will manage the capital works through its in-house project management team in tandem with Telstra. The team will seek to minimise impact during these refurbishments and capital works, whilst ensuring national standards to minimise

About 30 Pirie Street, Adelaide:

30 Pirie Street is centrally located in Adelaide’s CBD.
The building comprises:
o 23 levels of office space
o A 107 seat theatrette
o Training rooms located on the mezzanine floor
o The top floors enjoy scenic views
o The building benefits from easy access to all amenities, including tram and bus services. Rundle Mall, Adelaide’s primary retail strip is also nearby.

This from the Australian last year (interesing to see Optus is looking for new space):

Investa welcomes Telstra lease renewal in Adelaide
Maurice Dunlevy
From: The Australian July 29, 2010 12:00AM

TELSTRA will remain at its Adelaide headquarters in a $100-million-plus lease deal with landlord Investa.

The 11-year lease is understood to involve a rental of more than $400/sqm for the 24,780sqm building, although unlisted Investa will spend millions of dollars refurbishing the tower, which has 23 levels of office space.

While rival telco Optus currently has an 8000-12,000sqm requirement for new Adelaide offices, Telstra did not attempt to move out of 30 Pirie Street, which it sold to Investa in 2002.

That transaction was part of Investa's $570m purchase of seven Telstra office towers around Australia.

Investa has since sold two of those properties but Telstra remains a major tenant, occupying a total eight Investa office buildings.

The 30 Pirie Street re-signing is also the third major office lease deal -- involving some 175,000sqm of space -- between the parties over the past two years. In 2009, Telstra re-signed for 115,000sqm of space at its 242 Exhibition Street national headquarters building in Melbourne.

The previous year it committed to another decade at 400 George Street in a deal involving 25,000sqm.

The Adelaide re-signing is the second major leasing deal in the city's CBD this year after the Australian Taxation Office pre-committed in March to up to 30,000sqm in a 36,000sqm tower to be owned by the Aspen Development Fund No 1.

The 30 Pirie Street building is jointly owned by two unlisted retail funds, Investa Diversified Office Fund and Investa Fifth Commercial Trust.

Investa, which yesterday described the new Telstra lease as a great outcome for unitholders, has not revealed the cost of the building refurbishment, which will involve a foyer upgrade and improvements to lifts and air-conditioning.

[Pikey]

I work in Telstra house and essentially it's an internal refit, and new retail precinct at the base of the tower. I've been told that there won't be any external changes to the tower, however the louver window shutters will be removed and replaced by blinds, which may change things a bit. We've relocated out of the building for 18 months during the refit, so I lost my window view from level 18, damn it!

[UrbanSG]

18 moths is a fair while Pikey, I'm guessing this is because it's happening all at once?

The removal of the window shutters sounds good. I understand they reduce the views from inside the office? They also look very average when viewed from the outside (ie mostly white windows).

I actually don't mind the external appearance of the tower as it is rather unique. A polish of the cladding would help. The removal of the blinds together with new internal lighting could improve the appearance of the building at night too. The new foyer/retail area at the base of the tower sounds good too as that part of the building is very dated at the moment.

[Pikey]

Two floors at a time are being completed, so by the time you do the ground level, mezzanine and then 23 floors of office, 18 months is an understandable timeline.

[Will]

Sounds interesting.

From the Messenger:

City developers eye carpark unit plans

Council28 Apr 11 @ 06:00am by Jessica Whiting



CARPARKS: Developers are eyeing apartment units for carparks.


UP TO 50 ‘DROP-TOP’ units could be designed to sit atop city carparks within the next 18 months as part of a pilot housing project.

Dozens of builders and developers have put up their hands to design the units for the City Council, as part of its goal to provide more affordable housing in the CBD.

Twenty expressions of interest were lodged with the council last month to develop housing on buildings.

A brochure for the project suggests the Topham Mall carpark, off Waymouth St, as a “hypothetical” location but Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said units could feasibly be built on all the council’s U Parks.

“Adelaide City Council owns a number of high-rise carparks and they are all engineered to the point that something could be constructed on top,” Mr Yarwood said.

“We started with solar panels but housing is probably a better long-term option.”

Mr Yarwood said the project was designed to “test the market” and determine whether people wanted to live in such housing.

“I know of a number of people in their 30s who live atop of commercial buildings in the city,” Mr Yarwood said.

“The housing built for Common Ground above the bus station (on Franklin St) has been very successful.”

Housing Industry Association regional executive director Robert Harding said the project’s brief meant builders might be unable to develop the units at an affordable price.

“If you are able to provide an upmarket product that meets all modern amenities ... within a reasonable price range then you are going to sell it,” Mr Harding said.

“The real question is what cost per square metre you are going to be able to build it.

“To provide additional housing in the inner city is a desirable outcome which all of us support, but it is very difficult to see what this project will achieve until it is on the ground.”

The council is yet to decide whether it will buy the units, lease them from the developer or have a third party manage them.

A council spokeswoman said registrations of interest were being assessed and shortlisted parties might be invited to submit a development proposal.

[crawf]

18 moths is a fair while Pikey, I'm guessing this is because it's happening all at once?

The removal of the window shutters sounds good. I understand they reduce the views from inside the office? They also look very average when viewed from the outside (ie mostly white windows).

I actually don't mind the external appearance of the tower as it is rather unique. A polish of the cladding would help. The removal of the blinds together with new internal lighting could improve the appearance of the building at night too. The new foyer/retail area at the base of the tower sounds good too as that part of the building is very dated at the moment.

I'm a fan of Telstra House aswell, though the entrance/foyer is pretty dreadful and the main signage needs a good revamp.

[crawf]

Discovered the old Just kidding building on Franklin St is currently being used as an undercover carpark



While a tiny laneway off the eastern side of Topham Mall, has been transformed into a 'street art' mecca. Looks fantastic and such a great use of space!

[Xaragmata]

Possible "drop top" apartment site, above the five-level carpark behind 41 Currie Street - may be cantilevered above Topham Mall, which may also be reinvigorated ...




http://aap.newscentre.com.au/acci/11042 ... 42998.html

New apartment plan

Author:
Publication: The Advertiser (30,Tue 26 Apr 2011)

MALAYSIA'S Cahaya Global Ventures is investigating plans to develop an apartment complex atop a five-level carpark adjoining 41 Currie St, a property that it has purchased for $10.8 million. [...]

[Will]

The good news keeps on coming.

From the Advertiser:

Unis spend to lure scholar dollars

Maria Moscaritolo From: The Advertiser May 03, 2011 12:00AM


THE $700 million SA universities plan to pour into capital works over five years will bring huge returns.

The jobs and investment boon for the state economy presents contractors with specialised opportunities to grow their marketable skills base.

UniSA plans to invest about $1 billion in capital works, new teaching and research initiatives and student services, with a substantial slice to be spent on new buildings which will keep cranes in the city skyline until about 2020.

About $360 million is planned for the next five years, and it estimates this alone will have a $1 billion spin-off benefit for the state economy and support about 8000 jobs in the construction phases.

The University of Adelaide has finalised most of the projects under its $400 million, four-year infrastructure program - including its $100 million Innova21 engineering, maths and computer sciences building, and its $37 million investment in a new vet school at its Roseworthy campus. Two key projects remain.

The big-ticket item is its $97 million Illumin8 building on North Tce, to be completed in 2013. That will house its Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing.

The other is its $42 million Hughes Plaza Learning Hub, which will form the all-weather high-traffic heart of the campus when it opens in September.

It is considering options for investing in a new dental hospital in the next five years - either on its own or in partnership with the private sector or state government - to replace the Adelaide Dental Hospital.

Paul Duldig, the University of Adelaide's vice-president of services and resources, says the existing government facility in which its dentistry students trained was in a sorry state and "we've come to the view that something has to be done".

Flinders University's vice-president of strategic finance and resources, Shane McGregor, says it is looking to consolidate its presence and clinical teaching facilities in regional SA and the Northern Territory, and this accounts for a large share of its foreseeable capital spending.

Flinders has $45 million worth of work (of a $70 million existing program) left to complete in 2011-12, about a third of which will be spent on its medical school in the NT, and a further $75 million over five years earmarked to upgrade existing infrastructure.

It is devising its capital works plans for the next five years.

Its indicative spend is about $80 million to $100 million and might include a new building for its School of Environment, plus new accommodation or student buildings.

All three campuses have grown their student body, particularly as the Federal Government has removed its caps on subsidised places, and are building to accommodate their burgeoning population as well as modernise teaching facilities to maintain an edge in what is becoming a more competitive market.

UniSA is expanding capacity at its City West campus as it consolidates and scales back teaching at its Magill campus over the years to 2020. Key among its developments will be a $95 million seven-storey interactive learning centre and library, to be started this year and finished in 2014.

Paul Beard, UniSA's chief operating officer, says the student centre will be the single largest building the university has constructed at its City West campus - and it plans to build a second, similar $100 million building within the decade.

The university also is building the $50 million M2 at Mawson Lakes for materials and minerals science (following the $14 million Mawson Institute for advanced manufacturing finished last year).

Mr Beard calculated this $160 million in expenditure to 2014 would result in $450 million in flow-on economic benefits to the state in construction phases, including 3600 full-time equivalent jobs.

Projects which begin in 2014 - including establishing a new medical school in the north (to cost an estimated $20 million, with the help of donations), its campus consolidation plans and upgrading facilities to house its Business faculty and Hawke Research Institute - would cost about $200 million but create an estimated $560 million of economic benefit and 4500 jobs.

"If we keep growing the way we are in research and teaching we'll have to build more in terms of research facilities and teaching facilities on our campuses across that period (to 2020) and we'll work out in the next few years exactly what those projects will need to be," Mr Beard says.

Similarly, the University of Adelaide expects a compounded $230 million return from its Illumin8 building on North Tce, including 2000 jobs to build the state-of-the-art facility, but has not done similar economic benefit analysis for its other projects.

"The university sector has been quite helpful during the GFC because we've continued to grow . . . these are large businesses in the South Australian context," Mr Duldig says.

He says the University of Adelaide now boasts $1 billion in assets, and it has doubled its revenue and its research output since 2002 and grown student numbers by 50 per cent.

He says the building programs present opportunities for SA-based designers and builders to specialise in laboratory and classroom construction and export those skills to other economies. "Adelaide, as an education city . . . can mean we could be the centre of excellence for teaching space design or laboratory design and those sorts of things, so it is important that South Australia has a highly skilled workforce for higher education and research (capital needs)," Mr Duldig says.

"There's so much going on around the world in higher education and research - there's Hong Kong, China, South East Asia and India - and I guess we would say some of what we're doing across the three universities is quite cutting edge, so there's an opportunity for local architects and builders to gain expertise and sell it overseas."

The universities receive a substantial portion of their funds from the Federal Government, and some from the State Government. The rest (the bulk) is from their own sources.

They say their project money is assured and will not be threatened by looming tight Budgets