News & Discussion: General CBD Development

[Pants]

Yes Shuz, they paid $67m to have it demolished...

Wait... what? Surely Shuz wouldn't be trying for the 37th time to come back here under a different name?

[Will]

Proof that Adelaide is not being ruled by a corrupt government at the control of evil developers. Indeed, such articles suggest the reverse is true. Despite, recent planning changes, our city is still very much under control by nostalgists and other backwards people.

From the SA business Journal

Apartment construction in South Australia plummets in number and value

Sarah Martin June 09, 2010 1:59PM

APARTMENT construction has plummeted in South Australia in the past year, falling by 51 per cent in number and more than 60 per cent in value, new research shows.
Analysts say the data suggest the state is losing millions of construction dollars and the creation of hundreds of jobs because of rigid planning regulations.

Statistics compiled by property consultants Davis Langdon, show South Australia was the only state in which apartment construction fell in the past year, while all other states recorded a resurgence.

For the full year ending April 2010, 432 units approved compared to 902 for the year ending April 2009, a drop of 470 units or 52 per cent. In value terms, $81.5 million in apartment construction has been approved in the past year compared to $227 million in the year prior.

Davis Langdon senior economist Andrew Wilson said the $144.5 million shortfall represented an employment effect of 806 direct full-time jobs and an additional 2505 indirect jobs through the multiplier effect.


Mr Wilson said apartment construction activity in other states was being facilitated by state government planning schemes.

"Maybe it's time for SA policy makers and town planners to address the significant downturn in apartment construction in SA,'' Mr Wilson said.

"The substantial growth of this market sector in all other states is keeping their industries afloat together with the BER (building education revolution) work - which will be running out soon (and) employment growth in the industry is an issue as a consequence.''

Nationally, apartment construction for 2010 has averaged 67 per cent above the levels recorded for the same period in 2009.

Urban Development Institute of Australia SA executive director Terry Walsh said apartment construction was more difficult to build in South Australia than in other states.

"In Adelaide higher density construction has been less frequent and so each time there is an application for a multi-level apartment building, developers have to go through the agony of massive scrutiny and massive pushback from planning authorities,'' he said.

"There is a general reluctance to embrace the notion of denser living by council planners.''

Mr Walsh said securing finance for apartment buildings was also more challenging in Adelaide than in other states.

Hamra Group managing director Sam Hamra said developers were often put off trying to build high density apartments because of ``difficult'' councils and development assessment panels.

"If you know the council or the DAP are going to give you grief, a lot of developers say it is not worth the risk anymore,'' he said.

The company's recently developed Lightsview apartment building is 80 per cent sold, which Mr Hamra said reflected the demand for high-density living in South Australia.

[jk1237]

that is not good news at all. We need to encourage lots of apartment building in the city. There's so much space for it.

Must admit I wonder what effect the global downturn has had on this, maybe the same across the country

[iTouch]

I must say, after walking around the North half of Victoria Square. You've got Rundle and Hindley that feel like you're in one massive shopping centre, you've got parts of North Terrace that makes you feel like you're in a fairly wealthy upper-class playground, you've got Currie, Franklin and Grenfell that make you feel like you're in a capatalist structure and all the rest is rather flat (apart from a few buildings here and there that are starting to pop up around Victoria Square, etc)
Other cities are very speckled when it comes to business and leisure (apart from Perth, where their business is pretty much based on one street and there's no such thing as leisure)

[rhino]

I must say, after walking around the North half of Victoria Square. You've got Rundle and Hindley that feel like you're in one massive shopping centre, you've got parts of North Terrace that makes you feel like you're in a fairly wealthy upper-class playground, you've got Currie, Franklin and Grenfell that make you feel like you're in a capatalist structure and all the rest is rather flat (apart from a few buildings here and there that are starting to pop up around Victoria Square, etc)
Other cities are very speckled when it comes to business and leisure (apart from Perth, where their business is pretty much based on one street and there's no such thing as leisure)

You forgot the urban canyon of Pirie and Waymouth Streets

[skyliner]

And Gawler place and James place.

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[iTouch]

Wow good point. Waymouth and Pirie are very urbanised. I presume they used to be the main business streets back in the 50's and late 60's (especially Pirie) judging from the buildings (eg: that stunner of a building, Telstra house). Waymouth is sick because it's got the Advertiser building and alot of cool street art. There used to be a music venue called the Underground and there was a car port with some awesome graffiti artwork spelling "Radelaide"

The alley ways are sweet too. Some of them remind me of Diagon Alley on busy days

[Will]

From the City Messenger:

Heritage facelift for Whitmore Hotel

newsLocal News17 Jun 10 @ 01:25pm by Emily Charrison



Manager Sergio Laforgia and owner George Andrecki, and inset, the old hotel. Picture : Luke Hemer

ONE of Adelaide’s first watering holes, which is now covered in purple paint, is returning to its former glory.

The owner of the Whitmore Hotel, on the corner of Wright and Morphett streets, is embarking on a project to do up the facade of the 1839 building.

Workers have started stripping off the paint this week to reveal the pub’s original bluestone bricks, while extensive renovations to the interior have gradually been carried out in the past few months. “This is one of Adelaide’s oldest hotels but over the years, somewhere in the ‘90s, the publicans started to paint over the stonework,” owner George Andrecki said.

“Any to my view and a lot of people’s views it has destroyed the heritage charm of the building.”

Mr Andrecki, who has owned the pub for 12 years, said he had always wanted to renovate but lacked inspiration until new publican Peter Hogan took over a year ago.

“Adelaide has many fine character bluestone buildings and they look absolutely marvellous but ours has been destroyed by the paintwork,” Mr Andrecki said. “But I’m very keen to see that Adelaide’s heritage is preserved because that’s the beauty of Adelaide, that it has so many heritage buildings.”

The City Council has contributed $20,000 to the renovations, and Mr Andrecki estimated a further $50,000 would need to be spent.

Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the original stonework revealed, as it will add to the character of both the building and the square itself.”

[jk1237]

I do like when renovations strip back the awful paint and renders, and expose the original, true old stone facade that characterises our city's old buildings. Just round the corner from me is a street lined with grand old St Peters stone villas except for one shitbox. There are now new owners who have just stripped back the yucky render to expose the old bluestone, and have put back older style windows back in. Would have added up to $100,000 in its value already. While I love the Italian and Greek culture, I wish they didnt have to wreck the facade of so many older houses and buildings back in the 60s and 70s

[AtD]

Today's AFR: The office tower at 45 Grenfell St (brown egg carton thing) has been sold for $29m to a syndicate. The building is 18 levels and 13,000sqm with about 200sqm vacant plus ground floor retail and a basement. The building was sold by "The Over Fifty Group" who acquired it in 2006 for $24m. Yield of 10.75%.

[skyliner]

Yes, read that on 17th as well. interesting to know what the 'over Fifty Group' is.

Overall, still a disproportionate absence of bldgs in Adelaide in the AFR.

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE.

[AtD]

Yeah sorry, yesterday's AFR. I'm a little slow.

[Ben]

The former QANTAS building on North Terrace is soon to be rebranded "MY Budget" house.

[Omicron]

The former QANTAS building on North Terrace is soon to be rebranded "MY Budget" house.

Oh my lord, really? Groan!

[crawf]

Wow what a downsize!