Adelaide's Premier Development and Construction Site
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https://mail.sensational-adelaide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5162
Totally agree. Why didn't the state government demand Walker Corp to put in some public access to a rooftop bar/restaurant and viewing deck?? Really really dumb.Ben wrote:Application has been lodged. Such a wasted opportunity.
Description of Proposed Development:Demolition of the southern portion of the Adelaide Festival Plaza and the construction of a 5 level basement car park, a 2 and 3 level building comprising retail uses, a 27 level tower (including plant) comprising retail and office uses, basement level pedestrian connection and entry to Parliament House, a new lift into Parliament House and for associated earthworks, retaining walls and landscaping
Detailed Land Uses:Commercial - Office
Retail - Shop
Application Type:DAC - Adelaide ($10m)
Application Status:LODGED
Lodgement Date:01 Mar 2016
Address: Festival Plaza car park and commercial & retail development
Applicant Details: Walker Riverside Developments P/L
I don't think that's what Ben meant by a wasted opportunity... An observation deck on the top floor would be a great novelty to begin with but sure enough, much like Dazzleland, etc it would tank.ml69 wrote:Totally agree. Why didn't the state government demand Walker Corp to put in some public access to a rooftop bar/restaurant and viewing deck?? Really really dumb.Ben wrote:Application has been lodged. Such a wasted opportunity.
Description of Proposed Development:Demolition of the southern portion of the Adelaide Festival Plaza and the construction of a 5 level basement car park, a 2 and 3 level building comprising retail uses, a 27 level tower (including plant) comprising retail and office uses, basement level pedestrian connection and entry to Parliament House, a new lift into Parliament House and for associated earthworks, retaining walls and landscaping
Detailed Land Uses:Commercial - Office
Retail - Shop
Application Type:DAC - Adelaide ($10m)
Application Status:LODGED
Lodgement Date:01 Mar 2016
Address: Festival Plaza car park and commercial & retail development
Applicant Details: Walker Riverside Developments P/L
The Festival Plaza location and 27 storey height would be perfect for this. Tourist attraction and would go some way to winning public support for an office tower in that location. I hope it's not too late for this change.
Lang Walker’s long-awaited $1bn plans for Adelaide’s Festival Plaza, redevelopment of Adelaide Casino, Festival Centre and car park look set to go ahead
March 25, 2016 9:51pm
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 88503838ea
THE long-awaited Festival Plaza project has received the State Government’s tick of approval, unlocking about $1 billion of riverbank redevelopment on Adelaide’s most prized real estate.
An announcement of formal development approval for Sydney billionaire Lang Walker’s plans for a 24-storey office tower and a two-storey complex of restaurants, luxury shops, cafes and bars on Parliament House’s northern side is expected within days.
The plans include a 24-storey office tower and a two-storey complex of restaurants, luxury shops, cafes and bars on Parliament House’s northern side.
A green light for the Walker Corporation — which in late 2012 won exclusive rights to develop the Festival Centre car park and plaza — will trigger a historic transformation of the precinct spanning the Adelaide Casino, Adelaide Oval footbridge, Festival Centre and the tired Hajek Plaza next to Parliament.
The casino has been delaying a $300 million redevelopment as it awaits the Walker building approval, needed to fund the 1560-space Festival Centre carpark upgrade.
The casino is relying on carpark spaces for plans for an 80-room luxury hotel, restaurants and premium gaming areas.
It is understood formal development applications lodged by Walker Corporation in recent weeks have been agreed by the State Government and only a final rubber-stamping process is needed.
Detailed concept drawings, showing the Station Rd tower and its associated shops, cafes and bars, are also in the final stages of preparation for the Government announcement.
The Opposition is anticipating a deal, but questioning if unreasonable concessions on government office tenancies, leases and construction timing have been made to Mr Walker to salvage the project.
Walker Corp declined to comment, but its website says work will start early this year and finish in 2018 on the 5000sq m plaza project, featuring commercial towers with 40,000sq m of office space behind Old Parliament House.
With the Walker project approved, complex construction schedules will be prepared for redevelopment of the car park, plaza, casino (including a tunnel-footbridge link to the railway station) and a $90 million Festival Centre upgrade.
These will draw on an in-principle deal struck in November for the casino to buy a parcel of state-owned land between the railway station and the Festival Centre, which includes guaranteed access rights via Station Rd and Festival Drive for the Intercontinental Hotel next door.
Urban Development Minister Stephen Mullighan would not comment on planning approvals but a government spokesman confirmed talks were under way with all parties.
“We are working to commence construction as soon as possible, but the negotiation involves a series of complex agreements between the Government, Walker Corporation, (casino operators) SkyCity, the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Intercontinental Hotel,” he said in a statement to The Advertiser. “Reaching agreement between all of the parties is something we are working very hard to achieve and we hope to do so soon.”
Mr Mullighan in January assumed responsibility for the plaza precinct from Planning Minister John Rau, who told Parliament on Thursday the Government was working with Walker Corp to finalise a binding contract and hoped to do so “in the next couple of weeks”.
Opposition Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman yesterday said dealing exclusively with a single partner, Mr Walker, for so long had frustrated development on the prime site and frozen out potential competitors.
She said the government was in a vulnerable position, needing to make progress, and questioned whether government tenancies would be allocated to the Walker office tower or concessions made on construction timing or the long-term site lease time frame.
“The real issue is going to be what have we given up to get this deal salvaged?” Ms Chapman told The Advertiser.
SkyCity declined to comment. This week it declared a planned construction start on its $300 million Casino upgrade had shifted from mid this year to at least early next year.
Last March Premier Jay Weatherill announced that the $610 million plaza redevelopment, saying Walker Corp would invest $430 million and taxpayers $180 million.
The dilapidated carpark will be the starting point for the redevelopment.
The $90 million Festival Centre upgrade involves closing over the plaza to create new entries and foyers.
I'm anxious about the final result too. The renders of the office building are completely uninspiring. Nothing wrong with the design, but as many have already commented already, this site deserves an inspiring, iconic tower. Not another average office building which you would find in Grenfell or Pirie or Flinders St.serca wrote:This is great news and well overdue.
I can't help but be a bit anxious about the finished product. If they nail it, like the bridge and AO then we are kicking goals for the next 50+ years, if they fuck it up we will be licking our wounds for a long time to come.
Even that is a compliment! Way outdated, run down, not used and out of touch imho . Seemed like a heat sink without a central drawcard.crawf wrote:^Fingers crossed!
I went for a walk through the plaza a couple of weeks ago and I forgot how much of a hideous dogs breakfast it is.
I really, really hope you are right, but I recall seeing some very detailed plans somewhere, the sort of plans you would have which are way past the indicative/conceptual design stage. I'm hoping against hope that if the render does indicate the final plans, that DAC knock it back in its current form. Simply not good enough.Nathan wrote:I still think the render of the office building is only indicative (fingers crossed). I did hear a birdy (may or may not be true) that Walker had engaged one of the architects that worked on Fed Square.