[COM] 104-106 Currie Street | 117m | 33lvl | Sofitel Hotel

[adel aide]

I wouldn't say that smeg is a low spec option that needs upgrading. The reality is Miele supply a lower end oven specifically for developers who want to leverage off the brand without spending what the buyer things they are. Obviously it works!!
My previous comment about the fitout was more to do with things like having the air conditioning condenser on the balcony like Realm are for everything but their sub penthouses and penthouses. This is just a shortcut by the developer to save a lot of money and is a long way from providing the "high-end" fitout that you should expect when paying the prices they are asking.

[gmf]

We've bought a 2-bedroom apartment in the Sofitel as (personally) like the location. I also like the more classic design of the building and think it'll age well.

Although the fit-out isn't the most premium out there, the inclusions and finish seem very fair for the price.


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[floplo]

Location-wise these new developments seem so close to each other that it seems it's really just personal preference which one is better (i.e. is 100 meters more to some destination really going to make much of a difference?)

I guess there are two more factors that can make more expensive apartments be actually cheaper, one is strata fees and the other is amenities. I don't know what the different buildings will charge for the first one, but as an example for the secon it looks as if Luminesque is the only one that doesn't have a substantial resident only space (balcony, terrace,etc). So depending on how much you value that type of thing, it might change from looking at plain numbers.

[SRW]

My previous comment about the fitout was more to do with things like having the air conditioning condenser on the balcony like Realm are for everything but their sub penthouses and penthouses. This is just a shortcut by the developer to save a lot of money and is a long way from providing the "high-end" fitout that you should expect when paying the prices they are asking.

I agree, that's a pet peeve for me too.

[arki]

For me this development is actually the most attractive of the current bunch and far superior to Kodo in every aspect.
- Better location (next to Leigh/Peel St precinct; closer to Rundle Mall; closer to the business district proper; closer to Riverbank etc etc)
- Aesthetic - likely to be the best looking residential tower in Adelaide going by the renders.
- Access to Sofitel facilities. I think this is a big one...Sofitel is one of the leading hotel brands in the world and their amenities are some of the best in their category.
- Unverified but possibly lower strata fees due to the hotel running the 'public' facilities of the building.

I'm surprised they are selling so slow, given the low number of apartments.

[Patrick_27]

Better location (next to Leigh/Peel St precinct; closer to Rundle Mall; closer to the business district proper; closer to Riverbank etc etc).

I thought we agreed that the location is subjective? Personally, I'd prefer Kodo for it's location because it's right by the Central Markets, Chinatown and it's less of a walk to the tram-line which can take you to all of the places that you've mentioned.

[mshagg]

- Access to Sofitel facilities. I think this is a big one...Sofitel is one of the leading hotel brands in the world and their amenities are some of the best in their category.
- Unverified but possibly lower strata fees due to the hotel running the 'public' facilities of the building.

Access to hotel facilities is another way of saying the general public, who don't give a crap about the building, its fittings, or generally have any consideration for other users, using resident facilities. If anything it'll put upwards pressure on strata fees and sinking funds. I know two separate couples who lived in 20 Hindmarsh, which has access to the crowne plaza facilities; both lamented how little they used said facilities given they were constantly occupied by hotel guests.

My ideal building wouldn't have any of this stuff. Common areas in most buildings I've set foot in have been slapped together (couple of stationary bikes and a treadmill = "state of the art gym") and poorly maintained.

Strata fees can be kept at a minimum by just keeping the lifts going, which costs enough as it is.

[floplo]

- Access to Sofitel facilities. I think this is a big one...Sofitel is one of the leading hotel brands in the world and their amenities are some of the best in their category.
- Unverified but possibly lower strata fees due to the hotel running the 'public' facilities of the building.

Access to hotel facilities is another way of saying the general public, who don't give a crap about the building, its fittings, or generally have any consideration for other users, using resident facilities. If anything it'll put upwards pressure on strata fees and sinking funds. I know two separate couples who lived in 20 Hindmarsh, which has access to the crowne plaza facilities; both lamented how little they used said facilities given they were constantly occupied by hotel guests.

My ideal building wouldn't have any of this stuff. Common areas in most buildings I've set foot in have been slapped together (couple of stationary bikes and a treadmill = "state of the art gym") and poorly maintained.

Strata fees can be kept at a minimum by just keeping the lifts going, which costs enough as it is.

I might be mistaken but I had the impression that after some introduction period the residents in that building will have to pay explicitly for access to Sofitel amenities (at least the gym/pool/fitness part), which should keep Strata fees lower and 'motivate' the hotel to keep up the quality as they will have to compete against existing gyms (can any of the posters who bought into this confirm that ?)

[sync314]

- Access to Sofitel facilities. I think this is a big one...Sofitel is one of the leading hotel brands in the world and their amenities are some of the best in their category.
- Unverified but possibly lower strata fees due to the hotel running the 'public' facilities of the building.

Access to hotel facilities is another way of saying the general public, who don't give a crap about the building, its fittings, or generally have any consideration for other users, using resident facilities. If anything it'll put upwards pressure on strata fees and sinking funds. I know two separate couples who lived in 20 Hindmarsh, which has access to the crowne plaza facilities; both lamented how little they used said facilities given they were constantly occupied by hotel guests.

My ideal building wouldn't have any of this stuff. Common areas in most buildings I've set foot in have been slapped together (couple of stationary bikes and a treadmill = "state of the art gym") and poorly maintained.

Strata fees can be kept at a minimum by just keeping the lifts going, which costs enough as it is.

I might be mistaken but I had the impression that after some introduction period the residents in that building will have to pay explicitly for access to Sofitel amenities (at least the gym/pool/fitness part), which should keep Strata fees lower and 'motivate' the hotel to keep up the quality as they will have to compete against existing gyms (can any of the posters who bought into this confirm that ?)

That's correct. Residents get free access to the hotel facilities for 12 months after handover. Then they need to pay a 'membership fee' to the hotel for access.

[Norman]

Detailed design is continuing. The developer has just lodged a submission with the following variations from the original proposal. I have highlighted the important things. Please let me know if these variations are old and have been incorporated already.

1. The deletion of a previously proposed ‘double skin’ glazed façade system to approximately half of the western and eastern facades above level 9 (which applied to hotel and apartment levels only). To accompany this amendment, the application includes an amended detailed wind impact assessment report and thermal assessment report, so as to demonstrate the performance of the revised building façade in relation to energy efficiency and occupant amenity in the absence of the originally proposed façade system.
2. Transformer relocated from basement to ground level at the corner of Burnett St and Solomon St (as agreed with SA Power Networks).
3. Fire booster & tank suction outlets relocated to corner of Currie/Rosina Streets (as required by SA Metropolitan Fire Service - SAMFS).
4. Amendment to the internal floor layout to ground level entry lobby & porte cochère.
5. Building height increased due to the addition of a new ballroom level (level 10) & required shielding of roof services/lift overrun. As a result an amended approval was sought and received from the relevant Federal Department governing building heights for airspace safety.
6. Amended layout of central core (re-positioning of residential & hotel lifts, hotel goods lift, services lift & fire stairwells 1 and 2).
7. Pool & gym facilities relocated to levels 3 & 4……
8. Original transfer & services floor (level 9) replaced by new Level 10 ballroom & conference level. Services have been relocated to new level 7.5, roof & basement.
9. Residential storage cages relocated throughout carpark & Level 2.
10. A reduction in apartment numbers from 80 to 70 via reconfigurations and amalgamations of various apartments to suit market preferences.11. Reduction of car parking.
12. Hotel guest rooms reconfigured as per preferences/requirements of the proposed hotel operator.
13. Loading dock reconfigured.
14. Hotel bike racks originally located in the porte cochère relocated to an enclosure off Burnett Street (adjacent to new transformer location).
15. Additional detailed external lighting information, waste management report and updated recommended wind impact measures being incorporated into the design.

[Ben]

The new height is 117m due to adding a ballroom level with a height of 5.5m.

[floplo]

Detailed design is continuing. The developer has just lodged a submission with the following variations from the original proposal. I have highlighted the important things. Please let me know if these variations are old and have been incorporated already.

1. The deletion of a previously proposed ‘double skin’ glazed façade system to approximately half of the western and eastern facades above level 9 (which applied to hotel and apartment levels only). To accompany this amendment, the application includes an amended detailed wind impact assessment report and thermal assessment report, so as to demonstrate the performance of the revised building façade in relation to energy efficiency and occupant amenity in the absence of the originally proposed façade system.
2. Transformer relocated from basement to ground level at the corner of Burnett St and Solomon St (as agreed with SA Power Networks).
3. Fire booster & tank suction outlets relocated to corner of Currie/Rosina Streets (as required by SA Metropolitan Fire Service - SAMFS).
4. Amendment to the internal floor layout to ground level entry lobby & porte cochère.
5. Building height increased due to the addition of a new ballroom level (level 10) & required shielding of roof services/lift overrun. As a result an amended approval was sought and received from the relevant Federal Department governing building heights for airspace safety.
6. Amended layout of central core (re-positioning of residential & hotel lifts, hotel goods lift, services lift & fire stairwells 1 and 2).
7. Pool & gym facilities relocated to levels 3 & 4……
8. Original transfer & services floor (level 9) replaced by new Level 10 ballroom & conference level. Services have been relocated to new level 7.5, roof & basement.
9. Residential storage cages relocated throughout carpark & Level 2.
10. A reduction in apartment numbers from 80 to 70 via reconfigurations and amalgamations of various apartments to suit market preferences.
11. Reduction of car parking.
12. Hotel guest rooms reconfigured as per preferences/requirements of the proposed hotel operator.
13. Loading dock reconfigured.
14. Hotel bike racks originally located in the porte cochère relocated to an enclosure off Burnett Street (adjacent to new transformer location).
15. Additional detailed external lighting information, waste management report and updated recommended wind impact measures being incorporated into the design.

I am pretty sure that many of these have already been incorporated before, for example the transfer of the gym and pool facilities. I think the same holds for the apartment numbers as I believe the original plans had a higher number of one bedrooms which are now 2/3 bedroom ones. Also the website has 72 apartments, so there might be two cases where somebody bought two apartments and got them to 'amalgamate' them...

[slenderman]

The new height is 117m due to adding a ballroom level with a height of 5.5m.

On the height, I'm confused.

In the original proposal, the building was 152.64m AHD to the top of the plant, and 41.940m AHD at ground level, resulting in a height of 110.70m, which is what I thought the height was originally, so I was confused when the thread said 115m.

But if you look at this screen capture from the original documentation, there's a little bit more of the building "below" ground level, where it looks like they will excavate the ground. It doesn't affect the height in AHD, but does this little bit count towards the building's final height above ground? Does someone here (such as the Emporis editor, Will I think) know the answer?

ground.PNG (18.29 KiB) Viewed 4979 times

[wilkiebarkid]

This one won't commence until Kent Town is almost finished. The same happened with WATPAC and finishing CENTRAL before starting KODO. Just saying!

[floplo]

This one won't commence until Kent Town is almost finished. The same happened with WATPAC and finishing CENTRAL before starting KODO. Just saying!

As far as I know that's pretty much the timeline the developer gives, i.e. focus on the Kent Town project and then move on to this. Given that Kent Town has topped out and seems to be on schedule for completion in a couple of weeks/months, this project isn't really behind yet...