News & Discussion: General CBD Development

[Adelarch]

Agree with Council in regard to tax cuts on apartments. It would be nice to see more State Government policy-making which supports the rhetoric about growing the CBD population and reducing urban sprawl.

From Adelaidenow:

Adelaide City Council wants to cut apartment taxes

by: Daniel Wills
From:The Advertiser
March 07, 201212:00AM

ADELAIDE City Council wants to entice people to live above Rundle Mall and other city streets and has called for apartment tax cuts to encourage city-centre living.

The council's new residential growth strategy aims to more than double the city's population to 48,000 by 2040, in line with State Government plans, including through the use of dormant heritage buildings.

Council research shows price remains the biggest barrier to people living in the city.

Property Council of Australia SA executive director Nathan Paine said the Government should abolish stamp duty on city apartments for two years to encourage purchases. He said the First Home Owner Grants had delivered a boom to the suburbs. The city now needed assistance. "If the Government don't do this it is going to make it very hard to convince consumers to buy this product," Mr Paine said. "It's the next critical step if they want to achieve their targets."

The Government is working to rezone the city centre to allow increased building heights and promote higher design standards including "mixed use" developments combining retail, commercial and residential.

Planning Minister John Rau says the city should take a significant share of Adelaide's natural population growth over the next three decades. The city population peaked at 43,000 in 1915 and is now about 20,000.

Treasurer Jack Snelling said he was "happy to look at any proposals" council put forward. Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood did not respond to requests for comment.

Vic and Judith Willington are among a growing group of people who have made a move to the city. Mr and Mrs Willington, 73 and 74, have lived in the Conservatory Apartments on Hindmarsh Square for the past 2½ years and said Adelaide's apartment scene had much to offer people of all ages.

"We're close to Rundle Mall, North Terrace, the Torrens which we walk along a lot and we have fantastic views of the hills and the sea," Mr Willington said.

He said council should do everything it could to encourage apartment living in the city. There should be more high-rise apartment buildings to bring us in line with other cities, he said.

[UrbanSG]

It's about bloody time ...

Now that West Terrace has been upgraded with underground powerlines this section of road into and out of the CBD really stands out. Plus the road condition is very average.

Also the view of the CBD along this road should improve as 70 Franklin Street goes up and blocks the view of the Telstra Exchange.

From the Adelaide City Council:

Anzac Highway Upgrade

Released: 09/03/2012

Anzac Highway, between West Terrace and Greenhill Road / Richmond Road intersection will be upgraded over the next seven months, starting on Tuesday 13th March.

The upgrade will include a full reconstruction of kerbs and gutters, installation of new electrical and public lighting infrastructure, ten new water retention basins with catchpit outlets, biodiversity enhancements within the adjacent Park Lands to improve storm water runoff and a full resurfacing of the roadway and median strip.

The work is expected to have minimum impact on traffic but some lane restrictions may apply. Motorists are urged to drive according to the conditions.

The works is expected to be completed by the end of September.

[Waewick]

that is a dog of an intersection with Greenhill road virtually ending and the railoads just to the side.

Good too see some improvements being made but I think it will be a long time before that intersection is ever truly improved.

[Will]

From the Advertiser:

Offshore developers investing in CBD

by: Giuseppe Tauriello
From:The Advertiser
March 16, 201210:30PM



OFFSHORE developers are snapping up CBD sites, eyeing growth in higher-density residential market.

Chinese developers are targeting Adelaide, encouraged by the State Government's aim of bringing more people to the city.

A report by real estate group CBRE indicates that 30 per cent of the country's apartment market is now held by foreign developers.

And while only 2 per cent of this is in Adelaide, CBRE state managing director Phil Rundle says offshore demand continues to rise.

Tangcheng Group, headed by Chenghi Xu, is marketing its recently-approved 15-storey student accommodation building on King William St and holds three other CBD development sites on Gouger, Waymouth and Pulteney Sts.

Chinese group Datong continues to revise its design of a 75m apartment project on Flinders St and Huigu Investments will soon lodge a development application for a 12-storey project on Angas street.

Despite the influx of Asian capital, Professional Mortgage Partners director Jonathan Hii, above, says more can be done to remove cultural barriers and attract Asian investment.

Mr Hii said: "The State Government, together with the Adelaide City Council, need to showcase South Australia."

[Will]

From the Messenger:

More city properties to be heritage listed

Business 28 Mar 12 @ 11:26am by Alice Higgins


MORE than 70 city hotels, churches, shops, art galleries and homes could be added to the local heritage list.

Planning Minister John Rau yesterday (Tuesday, March 27) said he wanted 77 properties added to the heritage list to protect them from future development.

He made the announcement while unveiling a suite of changes to the city’s planning guidelines, which included lifting maximum building heights.

The 77 properties include:
- Union Hotel, Waymouth St;
- The Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Currie St;
- The Friendly Backpackers, Franklin St;
- King William House, King William St;
- Hill Smith Gallery, Pirie St;
- Scout Outdoor Centre, Rundle St;
- St Stephen’s Church Hall, Wakefield St; and
- Former Coles Department Store; Rundle Mall

The properties were reviewed by independent heritage experts, the council and Planning Minister John Rau.

Community consultation is open until June 1.

Details: yoursay.adelaidecitycouncil.com

[Omicron]

Aside from the usual traditional architecture suspects, I am thrilled to see the former Coles department store on the list. A fine, fine building.

[Nathan]

Not too sure about the Scout Outdoor Centre on Rundle St needing a heritage listing...

[crawf]

Some of of these are overkill, eg
182 - 188 Rundle Street (Rundle Buildings)
27-29 Hindmarsh Square (also known as 28-30 Twin Street)
Scout Outdoor Centre, Rundle St
383-385 King William Street
104 Currie Street
96 Currie Street

and a few others

Though the buildings on Gawler Place, Distil, King William House, Scoozi, 387-391 King William Street, 75-79 Grote Street, Union Hotel, 47-49 Waymouth Street, 81-83 Angas Street, 21-31 Chesser Street etc definitely need to be put on the heritage list.

[Waewick]

Aside from the usual traditional architecture suspects, I am thrilled to see the former Coles department store on the list. A fine, fine building.

I have no idea which building this is.

[Nathan]

On the corner of Rundle Mall and Charles St, where ANZ and The Reject Shop currently are.

[Waewick]

thanks for that!

[monotonehell]

Some of of these are overkill, eg
182 - 188 Rundle Street (Rundle Buildings)
27-29 Hindmarsh Square (also known as 28-30 Twin Street)
Scout Outdoor Centre, Rundle St
383-385 King William Street
104 Currie Street
96 Currie Street

and a few others

Though the buildings on Gawler Place, Distil, King William House, Scoozi, 387-391 King William Street, 75-79 Grote Street, Union Hotel, 47-49 Waymouth Street, 81-83 Angas Street, 21-31 Chesser Street etc definitely need to be put on the heritage list.

There's probably good reason behind all these. I can pick 182-188 Rundle Street as an example. That set of shops fronts the former Jewish Temple (Synagogue) while the façade looks ordinary, the building itself is important historically as well as being of architectural merit. The real shame there is that the current owner is not maintaining the heritage parts of the building, like the old glass lights and plasterwork (sheetwork?).

Also slap in the face of some that 27-29 Hindmarsh Square is right opposite Jade Monkey.

[Ben]

From the Messenger:

Bus hub planned for Grenfell, Currie streets
Government12 Apr 12 @ 07:30am by Alice Higgins
An artist's impression of Thinker in Residence Fred Hansen's vision for Grenfell St.
GRENFELL and Currie streets would become the city’s major commuter bus interchange under a proposal before the State Government.

Premier Jay Weatherill says the government is “actively looking” at turning Currie and Grenfell streets into a bus corridor.

Under one suggestion, a two-way bus lane would run down the middle of the streets, leaving room for a single lane of general traffic on either side.

The proposal was put up last year by Thinker in Residence Fred Hansen, who called for Grenfell St to be a public transport-only zone with widened footpaths and outdoor dining.

The broad concept has since been supported by Transport Department chief executive Rod Hook and the Property Council.

The idea was included in the Property Council’s 10-year vision, called Adelaide: City of Lights, launched by Mr Weatherill last week.

“It should be one of our premier retail streets but currently it is very difficult because you have queues of people waiting to get on and off buses,” the Property Council’s executive director Nathan Paine told the City Messenger.

“This would free up the sidewalks for cafes, eateries and other uses.”

Integrated Design Commissioner Tim Horton said turning Grenfell and Currie streets into bus corridors was an “absolutely stellar” idea.

“Wherever people gather - and particularly where people wait - there becomes an opportunity for small hole-in-the-wall businesses,” he said.

Rundle Mall Management Authority general manager Martin Haese said more than 200,000 visitors and workers caught public transport to the mall each week.

“Any system that can more efficiently bring people in and out of the city, you have got to look at,” Mr Haese said.

“(Grenfell St) is very well-suited to becoming a major transport interchange because it is a nice, wide street and it is very central.”

Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said he thought Grenfell St “desperately” needed dedicated bus lanes.

[[Shuz]]

So if the bus lanes run down the middle of the street, where will the stops go?

[rhino]

Outdoor cafes along a public-transport-only street where the public transport is trams is a very different thing to when the public transport is buses. Diesel exhaust tends to ruin food. Of course, if only electric busses were allowed....

BTW, Wellington has a system of modern electric trolley-buses though the city.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24805971@N05/5223715314/