5-Year Development Flashbacks

[AG]

This thread isn't about any single development in particular, but I thought this might be interesting to discuss seeing that now that Sensational Adelaide has been going for a good 6 or so years now.

Since this website has been up and running, what has been the most memorable development/decision that people have of things that have or have not been built in Adelaide up until the end of 2010? What's changed the most in the past 5 or so years?

[metro]

the best things in the last 5 years:

-new airport
-trams brought back to the city
-state government taking development approval powers from the ACC

[[Shuz]]

Best decision; extending the tramline.

Worst decision; all the banks lending easy credit to everyone therefore causing the GFC which consequently knocked back a lot of development potential.

[rogue]

Most exciting proposal / approval - 20-22 Currie St
Biggest disappointment - 20-22 Currie St not eventuating

[Ben]

Most exciting proposal / approval - 20-22 Currie St
Biggest disappointment - 20-22 Currie St not eventuating

I'd have to agree with this, i still hold some hope it will happen one day but doesn't look good.

I also think the Tramline Extension, Adelaide Airport and Rundle Lantern have been my favorites.

I'm looking forward to the Darlington Transport Studies completion and then construction and for the first time Adelaide have double digit cranes in the CBD.

[Waewick]

Best decision; extending the tramline.

Worst decision; all the banks lending easy credit to everyone therefore causing the GFC which consequently knocked back a lot of development potential.

if it had real potential - it would happen

most exciting - Adealide Oval redevelopment
most disappointing - lack of real vision in the city

[AG]

Here's a selection of different things that have been constructed in the past 5 years taken from a variety of CBD Development threads. Let's see how many people still remember:

[Will]

As someone who has been here since the beginning, and can even recall the original ozscrapers forum from 2002, the biggest achievements for me have been the tramline extension and the yes vote at Adelaide Oval. The reason is, how despite overwhelming hysteria and negativity, and the assumption that we were going to fail by our critics, we actually won.

The biggest dissapointment, is how despite the overwhelming evidence to suggest otherwise, people are still negative about our city and outlook.

[[Shuz]]

As you all know, I've never liked the airport's location; that aside, I do concede that the construction of the new terminal and facilities was a very significant improvement on what was there before. It is far more attractive, user-friendly and has vastly improved our city's image to both domestic and international travellers.

[Vee]

My vote for
Best development:
tram extension - fantastic for our city. (can't wait to see the city loop in place)
and
Adelaide Oval redevelopment vote (Yes!!!!)

Greatest disappointment:
failure to do anything about the Keswick railway station so that passengers are not dumped on the city outskirts

[skyliner]

After being on this site 5 years -
Best decisions
Electrification and ext. of railways
The tramline ext.
Adelaide oval devt
Riverbank dev't

Worst
Negativity about Adelaide - not a decision per se - but a 'pain the neck!'
Extremely low bldg heights in the central city - seem fixed forever

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[russo92]

I also think the greatest thing to have happened in the past 5 years was the Tramline extension and the new airport terminal, and of course the ongoing riverbank and Adelaide Oval redevelopment.

Disappointment would be failure to construct a new tallest for the city, skyscrapers define a CBD and its a shame that the State Bank/Santos/Westpac building has continuously stood out like a sore thumb for more than 20 years while every other major capital has grown in height, but understandably there's the economic and development restrictions behind these things.

[crawf]

Great thread!

Best moments would be the Yes vote to Adelaide Oval, new combined Airport terminal, plans to upgrade the train network and tramline extension. For such a small project, it created such a negative pathetic debate back in 2006/07, there was even call for a Royal Commission!. Though ofcourse, the project has been a huge success with thousands of people using the service, kick-started a resurgence in the southern CBD and has now paved the way for trams to take over Adelaide again. Two years later the Port Road tramline extension commenced with very little backlash despite costing triple the amount of the City West extension.

It's quite interesting when you look back to those years and compare the 1.7km tramline extension and Anzac Hwy Underpass to the current major projects across the city today, just shows you that Adelaide has changed alot already.

Some of the worst decisions for the city in the past 5 years, would be the Victoria Park saga and the prominent Lecornu site still remaining vacant even after all these years. Though all up the attitude towards change from residents to local councils is something of a huge disappointment whilst living here in Adelaide for the past 7 years. As it's well known Adelaide has stack loads of potential from the CBD right throughout the suburbs but the vocal NIMBY attitude are delaying or destroying that potential which has driven thousands of young people to the bright lights interstate and sent Adelaide into irrelevance.

Glenelg is a prime example. It's an iconic Australian suburb and a huge tourist drawcard for the state. But thanks to the vocal minority NIMBYS which range from the council to some residents, the suburb has been held back from reaching it's full potential. Some of these examples include the council's phobia of anything over 5 metres to the underwhelming last stage of the Holdfast Shores development.

Getting back to positive thoughts, it's pretty clear our city to moving into more happier times. With CBD construction at record levels, major infrastructure projects throughout the burbs, progress in the defence and resources sector, serious push for higher density in the inner suburbs and major suburban hubs, Adelaide Oval and Riverbank developments. Not to mention the three major things Adelaide gets slaughted for will be long gone by 2020 - One-way Expressway, Diesel train network and AAMI Stadium.

I also believe the local attitude towards progress and development is changing for the better, the 'Yes' vote to the Adelaide Oval Redevelopment is a good example of this.

[contractor]

Harsh, but I think the former Le Cornu site on O'Connell Street sums up Adelaide's development for the past five years. The proposal was constantly rejected and when it was approved, nothing was built (except a fence).

[Waewick]

agreed the LeCornu sight has nothing to do with the Adelaide mentality and all to do with the mentality of a certain developer.