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Adelaide is preparing to add a succession of major development projects to its rapidly rising skyline.
Australia’s fifth-largest city has recently been boosted by a $17.9-billion infrastructure spend with 130 active work sites across the city.
While Adelaide’s infrastructure backlog has finally started to move, the South Australia capital is still coming to terms with stagnant tourism.
The city’s tourism-dependent economy had been thriving in the years before the pandemic with rental growth across the commercial sector also growing steadily within newly-completed projects.
The state government is attempting to attract more interstate migrants and bring ex-South Australians home by selling the lifestyle benefits, lower house prices and availability of high-tech jobs in the space, defence and hydrogen industries.
It is using a rebadged $200-million Jobs and Economic Growth Fund to target industries such as space, hydrogen, plant-based foods and defence with business development funding.
Sizeable residential master plans and commercial precincts have added to the city’s burgeoning development pipeline, with strong population growth prior to Covid-19 unlocking development opportunities.
From a $1.95-billion new hospital, to the state’s first five-star hotel in 30 years, the city is primed for major development projects and growth.
Walker Corp's $1-billion project in Adelaide's city centre will feature a large-scale, mixed-use commercial and retail development along with a 5000sq m city square and public realm, commercial tower with 40,000sq m of premium office space, behind old Parliament house.
The tower will be a major component of the Adelaide Festival Plaza project, which will also include a new square and other public spaces, a new entry to the Adelaide Railway Station, a $90-million upgrade to the Adelaide Festival Centre and the expansion of the SkyCity Casino.
The precinct will link Adelaide's premier Riverbank attractions such as the Adelaide Oval, the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Adelaide Casino.
The project involved demolishing a 300-bay car park, making way for the underground car park, as well as replacing existing surface parking in the adjoining parklands.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• 27-storey office tower
• Designed by JPW Architects
Palumbo Group is close to completing its $150-million development that will house Sofitel Adelaide, Adelaide’s first new five-star hotel in three decades.
The 250 guest room hotel is part of a 32-story mixed-use tower—one of the tallest residential developments in South Australia.
Of the 32 stories, the first 24 will be dedicated to the hotel and its leisure and business facilities, which will include a restaurant, two bars, swimming pool, health and fitness centre, meeting and private dining rooms and a club lounge.
The hotel will be 400m from the Adelaide Convention Centre and from the Beehive Corner Building.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• Interior design by P49 DEESIGN
Construction on Adelaide’s high-tech medical and research facility, the first proton therapy centre in the southern hemisphere, is under way.
The Australian Bragg centre, also known as SAHMRI 2, is still under development, and will be a clinical and research facility within Adelaide’s $3.6-billion BioMed City precinct.
It will include facilities for research by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, along with lab and office space for health and biomedical companies.
Lendlease was appointed by Adelaide developer Commercial & General as the builder to deliver 32,000sq m across 15 levels, which includes three levels below ground and 11 levels of lab space, along with 10 clinical trial rooms.
The $500-million facility is expected to treat its first patients approximately 18 months following the project’s finish, which is pegged for completion in late 2023.
Dexus acquired the development in October 2020 in a $446.2-million deal.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• Designed by Woods Bagot
• Dexus’ transaction constituted one of the largest single-asset private acquisitions within healthcare real estate
• 600-700 patients could be treated at the facility each year
Members of the local Freemasons branch have put forward plans for a $120-million tower above Freemasons Hall on North Terrace.
The 160m-high development proposal would include a mix of hotel, student accommodation, office and hospitality spaces, and would be topped with a restaurant and public viewing platform.
If approved, it would become Adelaide’s tallest building by more than 20m, and the city’s first skyscraper, which in modern times is generally accepted as exceeding 150m in height.
A joint-venture partner likely would be brought in to support the project, which would include 200 hotel rooms, 204 student accommodation beds, two levels of office space and a restaurant and observation area across the top three floors.
Consultation on the development proposal is currently being undertaken with about 1500 members of the Freemasons.
Status:
Planning
Key facts:
• The tower would span 33,000sq m across at least 33 storeys
• The existing building currently comprises six levels of office space
• A formal vote on the recommendation will happen in August
Charter Hall is pressing ahead with its $450-million development at 60 King William Street in Adelaide’s CBD.
Charter Hall submitted new plans to the state government in November after the minister responsible for state heritage stepped in to protect the site’s historic art deco facade from demolition.
The revised development will include a 14-storey office tower with 40,000sq m of office space and 3600sq m of retail space for 3500 commercial and retail workers.
Charter Hall says more than 1500 local jobs will be created during construction, which will deliver the largest commercial real estate project in Adelaide’s CBD.
Services Australia, which manages public services including Centrelink and Medicare, will relocate more than 2200 non-customer-facing staff to the new premises after entering a 10-year lease for 28,500sq m across 10 floors.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• Designed by Cox Architecture
• Being constructed by Built
• Due for completion in 2023
A new $700-million indoor stadium, dubbed the Riverbank Arena, has been promised by South Australia's liberal state government, exactly one year out from the 2022 election.
The stadium will have a capacity of 15,000 spectators, and house concerts, conventions and other events, as well as basketball and netball games.
It will be built on the western side of the Morphett Street bridge, with a tunnel providing access under the bridge to the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The new stadium will replace the Adelaide Entertainment Centre at Hindmarsh, which currently seats 11,000 people.
Status:
Planning
Key facts:
• Located on the River Torrens west of the Morphett Street bridge
• 7000 jobs would be created during the arena’s construction
Melbourne-based ICD Property is pressing ahead with plans for a $400 million mixed-use development at Adelaide’s Central Market precinct.
Construction will commence on the first phase of the Woods Bagot-designed project, which will comprise three towers across the prominent 8500sq m site, in the second half of the year.
The development will involve ICD developing and handing back over 6000sq m of retail space including market activities, specialty retail, a supermarket, basement loading and 260 public car-parking spaces to the city.
The Melbourne-based developer will control the air rights above the arcade, with the tallest of the three towers set to reach 38-storeys.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• The project will feature 15,000sq m of A-grade office space
• It will also feature 249-room hotel and 210 apartments
• 15 per cent of apartments will affordable housing
Lot Fourteen represents the transformation of the former Royal Adelaide Hospital into a world-leading innovation precinct.
Development plans consist of six refurbished state-heritage buildings, a cafe, the Hanson building and five new buildings. It will include a flagship 16-storey entrepreneur-and-innovation centre expected to open in late 2023.
The state and federal governments have so far invested $722 million while the private sector has allocated $1.2 billion for the project.
The commercial and research hub has been developed in the upgraded heritage precinct of the 7ha former hospital site in the CBD. Its digital capacity is enabled by high-speed fibre network connectivity.
About 90 per cent of the available space is now tenanted and ongoing demand has spurred the further fit-out of additional heritage spaces and a planned 16-storey, circa $400 million Entrepreneur and Innovation Centre and Innovation Hub.
In 2018 a master plan was signed-off on and the precinct became the cornerstone of the Adelaide City Plan.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• Located on the corner of Forme Road and North Terrace
• Work commenced in 2017 after the demolition of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
• International tenants include Amazon Web Services, LVX Global, MIT bigdata Living Lab, and Google Cloud Services
Construction is under way for a $300-million office tower that Cbus Property says will help rejuvenate Adelaide’s Pirie Street.
Located on the corner of Pirie Street and Freemasons Lane, the 20-storey tower will deliver 30,000sq m of commercial office space, along with rooftop terraces, a wellness centre, end-of-trip facilities and retail and hospitality tenancies on the ground floor.
The site of the tower, at 83 Pirie Street, was once home to the Planet Nightclub, which stood empty for 16 years before its demolition. South Australia’s Department of Planning,
The Department of Transport and Infrastructure is expected to lease 18,500sq m of office space in the tower on a 10-year term, taking up the majority of the floors.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• Designed by Woods Bagot
• Will feature flexible floor plates averaging 1750sq m in size
• The building will target a GOLD WELL Rating
New Zealand-listed Vital Healthcare Property Trust has launched into the development of a $175-million private health campus that will be located within Adelaide’s third largest public hospital, the Lyell McEwin Hospital.
Designed by architects Woods Bagot, the Playford Health Hub will be delivered in three stages.
Vital is one of two main investment vehicles managed by Canada's Northwest Healthcare Properties, a specialist investor which is also busy deploying capital for an unlisted partnership it has with Singapore’s sovereign fund, GIC, that is expected to top out at close to $4 billion.
The first stage of Vital’s Playford hub involves a 450 bay multi-level car park—250 bays of it will be leased to SA Health on a long-term lease—along with a 1600 square metre retail component.
Subsequent stages comprise a 6000sq m specialist medical consulting building across three levels followed by a 12,000sq m private surgical and medical hospital over three levels as well.
Status:
Under construction
Key facts:
• Construction commenced in December 2020
• The first stage followed a $145 million capital raising
Commercial & General has been given approval to build a three-tower, mixed-use residential development on for the former Le Cornu site.
C&G submitted the plans after the council called for expressions of interest from developers following its $34-million purchase of the 7525sq m block of land in 2017.
Its $250-million renewal project will feature two 13-storey towers and one 15-storey tower, connected by a two-storey podium.
Plans included retail and commercial tenancies on the ground, first and second floors, and 160 apartments and four penthouses across the remaining levels, and two basement levels with almost 400 car parking spaces.
The towers will have views to the ocean, city and the Adelaide Hills and include resident amenities such as an indoor swimming pool, sauna and squash court.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• Construction due to begin in mid-2022
• The development would support about 430 jobs during construction and up to 500 ongoing roles once completed in 2024
The revival of one of Adelaide’s landmark heritage buildings has been thrown into doubt following a major delay to a $200-million luxury hotel development at 141-159 King William Street.
Adelaide-based developer Greaton applied for an extension to its deadline to start work on a new Westin hotel at the GPO site on King William Street, more than a year after construction was initially expected to commence.
Greaton is seeking an extra two years to start work on stage one of the project, comprising the development of a 15-storey, 285-room hotel at the northern end of the site.
The company wants five years to complete the hotel before it commences work on a second stage involving a major revamp of the State Heritage-listed GPO building.
The 24,500sq m GPO Exchange development will include 19 floors of A-grade commercial office space, a new ground floor foyer, retail precinct along with car parks.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• The development’s hotel component will be run by Marriot International under its Westin brand
The South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) will have its own purpose-built headquarters for the first time in its four decade history after the state government announced it will build a new multi-million-dollar base for the organisation.
The government has allocated $49 million towards constructing a new facility at Mile End, next to the Netball SA Stadium.
The development will include a strength and conditioning gym capable of accommodating multiple sports and teams; a specially-designed indoor court with smart technology; sport-specific ergometer training zones; and an environment chamber for simulated heat, humidity and altitude stress training.
For the past two decades SASI has operated from the former Kidman Park High School site.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• Designed by Studio Nine Architects
• An estimated 24,000 jobs will be created during the operational phase over a 30-year period
Melbourne-based Nightingale Housing is undertaking its first “sustainable” SA project at Bowden, which will have no car parking and feature up to 30 per cent affordable housing and 15 per cent disability accessible housing.
Nightingale has not revealed the precise location of the project, or number of apartments, citing ongoing negotiations with development partners.
All apartments will be sold to owner-occupiers, with a portion of apartments allocated with priority to essential workers, such as nurses; First Nation Australians, people living with disabilities and people working in the arts.
The state government is backing this project by underwriting up to $5.5 million of this not-for-profit development.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• Designed by Breathe Architecture
• Targeting 5 Star Green Star and 7.5 Nationwide Housing Energy ratings
• Will feature a rooftop garden, solar panels and rainwater harvesting
The $100-million One North Terrace development, being delivered by Adelaide-based LGB Australia, will comprise of 401 apartments spread over two 23-level towers.
The 28,000sq m development, opposite the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, will feature a large number of private residential shared amenities including a large swimming pool deck with sea view, gymnasium and more than 320 bike spaces.
On the ground floor will be retail and hospitality tenancies, along with a fresh food and flower market that would link to the historic Newmarket Hotel via a newly created laneway to be known as Newmarket Lane.
LGB Australia said that the interior is in a state of disrepair, after vandals broke into the venue and damaged the hotel’s iconic spiral staircase.
The building, which in recent decades was home to nightclubs, has been empty since 2017.
Status:
Planning
Key facts:
• The site of the former Newmarket Hotel
• Designed by GHD Woodhead
CEL Development’s is planning to build a $160-million hotel, which will replace a local heritage building, at 51 Pirie Street.
The Hyatt Regency will replace the former Bank of South Australia building, most recently used as an office supplies building.
In mid-2020, CEL Australia were asked to redesign the building after the council raised concerns about the canopy, facade and reflectivity of the glass.
Originally the developer wanted the building to be 27 storeys but reduced it to 21 storeys. The number of rooms also decreased from 295 to 285.
Two storeys of private suites as well as three levels of car parking and an indoor plant room were also axed, but the property gained an event space, market café, swimming pool, fitness facilities and rooftop bar.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• Work on the hotel is set to begin in late 2021—a year later than originally scheduled
• The hotel’s opening date has been pushed back to late 2023
Equinox Property Group’s plans for a 36-level hotel with 347 rooms in Adelaide was approved by the state commission assessment panel in April.
The project, designed by Loucas Zahos Architects, will create the city’s fourth tallest building, at 75 King William Street in the CBD with frontages on Currie Street and Gilbert Place.
During the past 10 years the City of Adelaide increased building heights in the city with an emphasis on design—this development sits within a “no prescribed height limit zone”.
The tower, expected to be the first Wyndham Grand hotel in Australia, will be 123.5m tall and will replace a largely vacant seven-storey office building that has the Adelaide Metro information centre and retail on its ground floor.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• Site purchased for $8.4 million in 2017
• The tower’s expected completion is early-2024
A private developer is poised to deliver a $180-million tower that will house the first QT hotel in the state.
The 25-storey development, located at 62-68 Currie Street, will feature a three-storey brickwork-and-glass podium and a singular tower form with an expressed concrete frame.
It will house office space, a 198-room hotel, a ground-floor restaurant and cafe and a rooftop restaurant and bar. Under the plan, the building’s ground floor would have a lobby, restaurant and kitchen.
Level one would have conference rooms and a hotel reception, levels two to 12 would have office space and levels 13-22 would house the hotel.
The project will also deliver a new north-south pedestrian link at ground level, connecting Schrader and Currie streets along the site’s eastern boundary.
Status:
Planning
Key facts:
• Designed by Hames Sharley
A $25-million, 33-level apartment tower planned for the La Boheme site on Grote Street has recently received approval.
The development, across a 1214sq m site, will feature shops and cafes on its ground floor, car parking and commercial space on its first six floors and then apartments on the remaining 26 levels.
The tower will be built next to the State Heritage-listed Metropolitan Hotel and Her Majesty’s Theatre
It will be directly opposite another apartment tower—ICD Property’s $400-million Adelaide Central Market Arcade.
The development will involve the demolition of a two-storey masonry building that once housed the La Boheme bar and Tunney’s tobacco store, which opened in 1910.
Status:
Approval
Key facts:
• La Boheme nightclub closed its doors in April 2019
• Development being delivered by AUTA Group
The South Australia government has plans for a new $1.95-billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.
The hospital will be co-located with Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide Biomed City on Port Road in the central city.
The new women’s and children’s hospital will have 500 treatment spaces, 170 outpatient consultation rooms, 14 women’s assessment service treatment spaces and two air bridge links that will provide direct access to the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and helipad.
The hospital will be Australia’s first to use 100 per cent electricity for all services, including heating, hot water and kitchen functions, which will save 2178 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Status:
Approved
Key facts:
• Designed by Woods Bagot with Bates Smart, Jacobs and BD
• The state government has so far committed $550 million
• Completion due by 2026
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