Sensational-Adelaide.com

MilenkoN wrote:The Address is 340 main street (or something along those lines) But wouldnt think the numbers along Main St would tally so high

Mawson Lakes landlords are turning offices into apartments due to a glut of commercial space

Offices on Elder Drive at Mawson Lakes have been converted into housing space. Picture: Roger Wyman


LANDLORDS in Mawson Lakes are converting offices and shops into apartments as they struggle to find commercial tenants due to a glut of available space.

Salisbury Council has already allowed four office conversions while another 23 are waiting approval.

Property Council SA acting executive director Lino Iacomella said converting retail and office buildings into apartments was more common in Sydney, but he expected the trend to reach Adelaide, particularly in the city centre.

He said it was not possible everywhere, but in Mawson Lakes flexible “multi-function polis” zoning allowed it.

“It’s good that the regulations (in Mawson Lakes) permit it to happen because it allows buildings to evolve to the marketplace and where demand is for those buildings as long as they are appropriate for residential use,” Mr Iacomella said.

Professionals Adelaide principal Rob McWilliams turned four offices on the ground floor of an apartment building at 105-107 Elder Drive into apartments.

The units are rented for $220-$240 a week, compared with an average weekly rental of $320 for regular apartments in Mawson Lakes.

Mr McWilliams said he had not been able to rent the ground floor as office space because there were too many other commercial properties in Mawson Lakes.

“The shopping centre there is too big and has created a vacuum of commercial properties,” Mr McWilliams said.

He said the State Government’s Innovation House, on Mawson Lakes Boulevard, was meant to be specifically for technology-based businesses but “they’re letting everyone in there now”.

Renewal SA chief executive John Hanlon said Innovation House and Endeavour House had always been open to all businesses to rent but a “small number” of tenants had relocated from Mawson Lakes’ city centre to Innovation House in the past 12 months.

Carmelo Scoleri held onto the bottom floor of an apartment block his company, Scoleri Construction, built at 30-34 Garden Tce, hoping to rent it out as four separate offices.

After a year with no inquiries, he applied to Salisbury Council to turn the offices into apartments.

He said there was more demand for residential rentals than office space.

“They thought Mawson Lakes would be another city but that’s not happening,” Mr Scoleri said.




Carmelo Scoleri has applied to turn four offices into apartments at 30-34 Garden Tce, Mawson Lakes. Picture: Roger Wyman


Mawson Lakes Chamber of Commerce president Bill Morris estimated about 30 per cent of retail and office space away from Main St and the Mawson Lakes Shopping Centre was empty.

He put it down to general economic malaise and a lack of customer traffic through Mawson Lakes.

“The challenge is how to get people into this community without doing something destructive like putting a road through the middle of it,” Mr Morris said.

“The chamber of commerce is in its embryonic stage and we’re hoping to have a public meeting in due course to gather up ideas from the business community and see where that takes us.”

Student Mahyar Aghaee rents one of Mr McWilliams’ an apartment conversions.

He said it was a bit small but not noisy despite only glass separating his living room from the street.

“It’s a bit cramped up but for one person it’s OK,” Mr Aghaee said.

He said it was cheaper than renting a regular apartment and convenient to the University of South Australia’s Mawson Lakes campus.

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contractor wrote:This one appears to have slipped under the radar, located next to the proposed 'Emperor Living' a mixed use development (3 storey) comprising supermarket, eleven (11) shops, seventy seven (77) dwellings (student accommodation) and associated signage. Also shown is an approved service station next door.

The student accommodation is small (some really at 32m2) with 'laneways'

Drawings are here by googling: 361/453/2014/2B.

contractor wrote:This one appears to have slipped under the radar, located next to the proposed 'Emperor Living' a mixed use development (3 storey) comprising supermarket, eleven (11) shops, seventy seven (77) dwellings (student accommodation) and associated signage. Also shown is an approved service station next door.

The student accommodation is small (some really at 32m2) with 'laneways'

Drawings are here by googling: 361/453/2014/2B.

crawf wrote:Yes, that's the new shopping centre and townhouse development.

Emperor is still a vacant block, though site works shouldn't be too far away.

Dvious wrote:I had no idea that Emporer Living got off the ground! That is a suprise. Should see a crane or two then i assume?