Uniting Communities has submitted a rezoning application to the South Australian Government for a six-storey proposal in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.
Uniting said the development would be South Australia’s first purpose-built intergenerational community, incorporating retirement living, aged care, disability accommodation, family housing and build-to-rent apartments.
The proposed zoning would also permit educational establishments, childcare facilities, community facilities and medical consulting rooms.
The 2.3ha Felixstow block, 6.7km from Adelaide’s CBD at the intersection of OG Road and Turner Street, is the site of the Aldersgate Residential Aged Care Facility and the state heritage-listed Forsyth House.
The proposed development would include 130 residential units, according to online planning portal BCI, comprising 41 build-to-rent apartments for families, 20 affordable or social housing units, 12 disability units (six independent and six specialist), and 57 independent living units.
A proportion of the units would specialise in housing seniors with dementia.
The masterplan incorporates the restoration of the state heritage-listed Forsyth House as a cultural and arts facility, and retaining the existing chapel and parking areas.
Uniting Communities chief executive Simon Schrapel said more than 50 per cent of the site would be dedicated to green community space.
“We aim to really open up the site to a new mixed community, the local neighbourhood and public,” Schrapel said.
“We’ve seen what is possible from our certified carbon neutral building, U City, [an] internationally recognised example of mixed-use development and community building.”
U City, a $100-million, 20-storey mixed-use tower, was opened by Uniting Communities in Adelaide’s CBD in 2019.
The rezoning sought for the site is to an Urban Corridor (Boulevard) Zone, enabling medium to high-density development.
Building heights would range from six storeys along Turner Street and OG Road, to two storeys next to the residential areas near Aldersgate Drive.
The proposal comes as South Australia considers changes to its Accommodation Diversity Code Amendment to allow six-storey retirement villages across the state.
The amendment would also introduce new provisions for co-living accommodation, where residents share facilities such as kitchens and/or bathrooms.
Retirement Living Council executive director Daniel Gannon said such changes wre crucial, noting “the state’s over-75s population will increase by 64 per cent between now and 2040”.
SA housing and urban development minister Nick Champion said the Felixstow proposal would be investigated to determine if the area could support increased density, and whether six-storey residential development was indeed appropriate.
Champion said the proposal addressed housing needs for Adelaide’s ageing population. “As well as providing more housing, the proposal looks at supporting infrastructure and community facilities”.
The proposal has entered public consultation. The planning minister is to make a final determination after community feedback and further investigations.
