U/C: [Cheltenham] St. Clair | $500m

[ozisnowman]

My question is who is putting pressure on the government to limit high-density housing??? is it the land developers themselves, the council or who?

NIMBYs and the council elected by said NIMBYs.

Developers sure prefer low density housing as they can sell individual houses as soon as they are finished rather than wait for
a whole building to be completed.

Actually they prefer higher density as they generate a higher return on the land.

Well if that is the case the Government should grow some balls and tell the NIMBY's and the council's to shove
it up their arse because increasing pressure on urban sprawl, infrastructure and services is bad for the environment
and is what is leading us into this nightmarish climate change predicament that we will be facing in the
next 50 years.

[Norman]

A video I captured on the 14th November:

[The_Q915]

RUSSELL EMMERSON, JOANNA VAUGHAN
January 23, 2008 08:40pm
HUNDREDS of angry residents will join the protest against the Cheltenham racecourse development tomorrow night.

Planning SA officials will host this last official opportunity for comment on the proposal.
The department has received almost 800 submissions, most of which vehemently oppose the development as, they say, it ignores environmental considerations.

Under the proposal, 13 ha would be kept open for recreation, wetlands and stormwater management and another 4 ha would be used as buffer areas throughout the new estate.

Cheltenham Park Residents Association spokesman John Dyer, however, said the western suburbs needed the racecourse open to keep the city healthy.

"South Australia is in a precarious position - there is enough water coming down the Torrens Rd, picking up water from Hindmarsh to Cheltenham, that would supply Adelaide. We wouldn't have to worry about desalination," he said.

"We are asking for them to look into the issue of water. If they don't do it properly, Charles Sturt (Council) will be sandbag city."

The SA Jockey Club last year sold the "development rights" to the site to a joint venture of developers AV Jennings and Urban Pacific. The club will receive more than $85 million over four years as the 900 allotments are sold. Greens MLC Mark Parnell said it would no doubt be a "very spirited" meeting. "The residents believe they have been short changed throughout this whole process," he said.

"This is the last space left in the western suburbs where you can do decent storm water management. My proposal is they scrap the plan and start again with more open space and a better storm water management plan."

Federal Labor MP Mark Butler, who will not be attending the meeting, said it was important to get the development right. "It is clear there is an expectation that the State Government should apply a development policy environment that secures the very best environmental outcomes in any change of use," he said in a written submission. State Member for Cheltenham Jay Weatherill will attend the meeting.

Planning SA will report back to Urban Development and Planning Minister, Paul Holloway, after tomorrow night's meeting.

[Howie]

Like to see how many hundreds of protesters there will be.. i'm guessing there will be a handful.

[Will409]

All the news reports were saying around 200 attended the meeting.

[Howie]

I'd imagine a fair few people in that crowd just went along to see what was being said. I'm in the neighbouring suburb and was going to go myself. But if there were 200 people in protest of the development.. that's a drop in the ocean compared to the 98,000 residents in the port enfield area.

[Will]

I'd imagine a fair few people in that crowd just went along to see what was being said. I'm in the neighbouring suburb and was going to go myself. But if there were 200 people in protest of the development.. that's a drop in the ocean compared to the 98,000 residents in the port enfield area.

The sad thing is, that due to our public consultation system these 200 people have the power to stop the development or dumb it down considerably. Damn you NIMBYs!

[Howie]

It's next door to cheltenham and didn't have it's own thread.. so i thought i'd throw it up here.

http://www.egoli.com.au/egoli/egoliStor ... =NewsViews

AVJennings secures $65m residential development
27/03/2008 By: Nicholas Clydsdale

AVJennings Limited (AVJ) announced that, in joint venture with Urban Pacific Limited (“UPL”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Limited (MQG), it had been successful in acquiring the former Sheridan site in Woodville, South Australia. The 15 hectare site was located immediately adjacent to the Cheltenham Park Racecourse and the St Clair recreation parkland.
Advertisement

The company said that the acquisition would provide beneficial linkages to these adjacent sites.

AVJ and UPL were contracted to redevelop the Cheltenham Park Racecourse site in November 2007.

The Sheridan site, previously known as the Actil site, was zoned residential and was development approved.

The residential property developer said site remediation was advanced and further development can commence immediately.

“The site will be developed as vacant lots suitable for both detached or medium density housing, with first settlements expected in September 2008,” AVJ said.

The company said the project would be jointly managed by AVJ and UPL and would complement the Cheltenham Park Racecourse project.

The site, located eight kilometres northwest of the Adelaide CBD and five kilometres from the city beaches, was expected to yield some 250 residential allotments, with an estimated end value of $65 million.

AVJennings CEO Louis Milkovits said the development of the site built on an already strong relationship between AVJ and UPL and the joint venture partnering was consistent with the AVJennings strategy going forward.

Urban Pacific CEO Wayne Rex said the company was looking forward to continuing its successful partnership with AVJennings.

“This is a major site that will add significant amenity to the surrounding areas as well,” Mr Rex said.

[Norman]

Medium Density, hey? This could be a good step in making Adelaide's inner suburbs more dense over the next few years.

[Omicron]

AVJennings was behind the old drive-in redevelopment near me, and it's not bad, but nothing special. Northgate is one of their subdivisions, isn't it? Does any know how that looks?

[Edgar]

Update 2009/08/11

Concept plan for new parkland community at St Clair unveiled
11 August 2009

CONCEPT PLAN FOR NEW PARKLAND COMMUNITY AT ST CLAIR UNVEILED

The new St Clair development in Adelaide’s west will feature one of the largest areas of open space within a residential project in the inner metropolitan area, with more than 22 hectares dedicated to new parks and wetlands, benefiting both new residents and the existing community.

St Clair will combine the redevelopment of the former Sheridan site in Woodville and the Cheltenham Racecourse - making it one of the Australia’s largest infill projects - and creating a whole new suburb in Adelaide’s west.

The concept plan for St Clair was today released by the project’s Joint Venture Partners, AVJennings and Urban Pacific and received strong endorsement from Charles Sturt Council and the State Government.

The exciting project will include approximately 1200 new homes in a wide variety of dwelling styles and price ranges; an urban wetland featuring boardwalks and interpretive trails; stormwater capture via aquifer storage and recycling; large areas of parkland and a retail centre with shops and cafes.

St Clair Project Director Rob Bau said the St Clair community would enjoy state-of-the-art living, set among newly created parklands and wetlands covering an area more than eleven times the size of AAMI Stadium, along with a new village square featuring shops and cafes.

“Our aim is to ensure St Clair becomes a vibrant inner metropolitan neighbourhood, which will complement the current community and will also offer excellent housing diversity,” Mr Bau said.

“It will have a strong commitment to environmental initiatives, focusing on water conservation.

“The project will emerge as a whole new suburb in a park-like setting which we believe will be genuinely beneficial to the wider community because of its accessibility.”

Mr Bau said St Clair would merge directly with the recently commenced residential development on the former Sheridan (Actil) site and the Joint Venture partners would develop the two projects as one.

Charles Sturt Mayor Harold Anderson said his Council endorsed the concept plans for the St Clair project and applauded the commitment of the Joint Venture partners and State Government in working with the Council.

“The collaboration between private and public sectors will result in a development that is vibrant, dynamic and responsive to the needs of existing and new residents,” Mayor Anderson said.

“It also showcases the continuous efforts of Council to work with other levels of government and the private sector to deliver a major project with outcomes that achieve the City of Charles Sturt’s ‘Community Plan 2027: Shaping the Western Suburbs.”

St Clair will feature a $20 million stormwater recycling scheme, funded by the Joint Venture partners, Charles Sturt Council and State Government, which will collect and treat stormwater for the local area in a wetland system and deliver the recycled water back to homes and the integrated parklands within the development.

AVJennings South Australian Executive General Manager Peter Jackson said St Clair would be developed to a high standard of architecture and urban design in both public and private spaces.

“St Clair will have easy access to schools, transport, West Lakes Shopping Centre and Adelaide’s major sporting venues, as well as only being nine kilometres from the CBD and five to the beach,” Mr Jackson said.

“St Clair will be accessible for those wanting to purchase their first home close to the city, with a range of fantastic apartments and terraced homes, while those looking for luxury will also be catered for with high-end homes also available.

“St Clair is going to be a special development in many ways. It will represent quality, sustainability and a cosmopolitan lifestyle.”

Wayne Gibbings, Chief Executive of the Land Management Corporation (LMC) said the development supported the Government's 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide which was recently released.

"St Clair supports the 30-Year Plan by concentrating growth in an area that is surrounded by a transport corridor and that includes a good diversity of housing," Mr Gibbings said.

"St Clair also supports the Government's plans to develop suburbs and neighbourhoods that are connected, represent good urban design and incorporate sustainable practices."

The St Clair development is a joint venture between AVJennings and Urban Pacific, in collaboration with the Government of South Australia through the Land Management Corporation and City of Charles Sturt.

MEDIA NOTE:

Please contact Julia Angove at Hughes Public Relations on (08) 8412 4109 or 0420 995 982 to coordinate interviews with St Clair Project Director Rob Bau or AVJennings South Australian Executive General Manager Peter Jackson on Tuesday, August 11.

For all Land Management Corporation media queries, please contact Eric Wisgard from LMC on (08) 8207 0859 or 0400 747 149.

St. Clair is a new residential property development by AV Jennings, which has taken over the now defunct project labeled the New Garden Village from Stockland. It is located at the former Sheriden Site in Woodville and neighbour to Cheltenham Racecourse Park.



http://maps.google.com/?q=Adelaide,+Aus ... 54932&z=15

The plan is to include a range of shops, cafes, and landscaped open spaces, which also leads to the existing Cheltenham Racecourse Park. This development has been approved and here are the Stage 1 plan.

St Clair will emerge as a whole new suburb in a park-like setting, only 9kms from the Adelaide CBD and 4kms to the beach. St Clair will be Adelaide’s first large scale, inner-metropolitan “water-wise” residential development; the project’s commitment to innovative and sustainable stormwater systems and wetlands will allow stormwater treatment and re-use within the development.

http://www.stclair.net.au/Home.mvc

[Edgar]

I have been highly anticipating the developments on this site, however, upon reviewing the prices, I am very much disappointed at how the developer is overselling themselves here, maybe it is just me, but their market projection on their Stage 1 expectations are pretty high.

[stumpjumper]

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Cheltenham Racecourse redevelopment after recent revelations of possible corruption in the SAJC.

So far, a report by lawyer and Thoroughbred Racing SA head Philip Bentley into the mess has recommended the resignation of SAJC chief executive Steve Ploubidis and two of its directors.

While the report did not cover the SAJC’s sale for redevelopment of the Cheltenham track, a process managed by the government’s Land Management Corporation, it did find that the vote to sell may have been rigged by branch stacking.

Philip Bentley, who was backed for the TRSA position by the SAJC and the government, is a long-standing personal friend of Premier Rann and minister for both racing and police Michael Wright. Bentley’s wife Margaret Wagstaff does extensive consultancy work for the government. Bentlrey and his wife were paid about $188,000 last year for their consultancy work.

Steve Ploubidis is a close friend of Labor factional heavyweight and chief executive of the government’s SA Progressive Business Inc, Nick Bolkus. He has also had a close association with deputy premier Kevin Foley over the failed Victoria Park development.

The Cheltenham land is within the Charles Sturt Council area. It’s fair to say that this council is controlled by Rann government attorney-general Michael Atkinson.

The SAJC report was presented to the Premier by Bentley and another TRSA director Greg Boulton. In 2005, Boulton’s private company Paragon Advisory Pty Ltd was given $10 million by the Department of Trade and Economic Development, a division of the Premier’s Department and headed by Boulton’s associate of many years, Brian Cunningham. After years playing together for Port Adelaide Football Club, Cunningham and Boulton served the club together for a decade as president and chief executive.

Given the personal, business and government connections between the players in this sorry story, especially the possibility of the involvement of government officeholders in any branch-stacking prior to the sale of the Cheltenham site, any invest5igation of who was up who with what should be at arm’s length, at least.

Unless the Opposition is similarly entangled, it should press for a decent investigation by people outside the situation.

In any case, as it unfolds this business seems to be yet another reason why SA needs an independent commission against corruption, despite Mr Rann’s protestations.

As a footnote, it's strange that Rann won't talk about the SAJC business 'because the police are involved', yet he kept up a continual commentary on both the Nemer and McGee cases before, during and after the police investigations and court cases.

What is Rann afraid of? Maybe he's worried that if the mix of government favourites, government ministers and public servants here is properly investigated the results will be not be favourable for him.

[stumpjumper]

It was revealed yesterday that SA Labor faction leader Nick Bolkus has received $136,000 for negotiating the 'sale' of the Cheltenham Racecourse to the AV Jennings/Urban Pacific consortium. Urban Pacific is a subsidiary of Macquarie Group Limited.

Bolkus groomed Jay Weatherill, Pat Conlon and other Labor MP's and MLC's close to the development, and is alsi a close friend of Steve Ploubidis.

ICAC, anyone?

[rev]

Just found this on Ad.now, this is the plan for the site covering Cheltenham race course and the Sheridan factory site(already demolished).

Plans for Cheltenham Park subdivision unveiled
Article from: The Advertiser

HANNAH SILVERMAN, REAL ESTATE REPORTER

August 11, 2009 09:30pm

THESE are the first images of the new $500 million inner-city suburb of St Clair. The 64ha project, a joint venture between AV Jennings and Urban Pacific, will have 1200 homes.

The concept plans, being released this morning, take in the former Sheridan/Actil factory site and Cheltenham Park racecourse to create the new $500 million suburb of St Clair.

Releases one to three are now available from about $230,000 for land and about $450,000 for house-and-land packages.

In the present releases, block sizes will range between 270sq m and 730sq m and there will be a range of dwelling designs available.

St Clair project director Rob Bau said the suburb would be set among newly created parklands and wetlands covering an area more than 11 times the size of AAMI Stadium.

"Our aim is to ensure St Clair becomes a vibrant inner metropolitan neighbourhood, which will complement the current community and will also offer excellent housing diversity," he said. "It will have a strong commitment to environmental initiatives . . . water conservation".

Toop & Toop managing director Anthony Toop said the rejuvenation of the site was an "important piece of the puzzle" in an anticipated renaissance of the western suburbs.

He said once the development had begun, prices would increase in the neighbouring suburbs.

"It would be very good for all property owners in the western suburbs," he said. "A subdivision of that scale resets all the median values in the whole area because of its size."

The former Sheridan/Actil manchester factory site is being developed as the first part of the project.

Builders have now commenced work on a display village.

Subject to approvals, construction on the former Cheltenham Park racecourse site is expected to begin early next year.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html

It seems the site, http://www.stclair.net.au/Home.mvc, hasn't been updated with the new plans yet as it's still showing only the plans for the Sheridan site.