[U/C] 88 O'Connell Street | 63m | 13, 13 and 15 Levels | Mixed Use

[AG]

North Adelaide needs to get with the times

12oct05
THE former Le Cornu site represents the ugly face of Adelaide, in more ways than one. It is a vacant eyesore in the heart of North Adelaide – a place that should be a jewel in the city's crown. It is also a warped monument to indecision, vested interests, petty parochialism and frustrated dreams.

It is a continuing triumph for the relatively few North Adelaide residents who have curbed progress by successfully pushing the "not in my backyard" argument.

It starkly demonstrates how Adelaide city councillors, elected by a handful of people, retain excessive influence over the direction of our state capital.

And it is still awfully bare and ugly, 16 years after Le Cornu sold its furniture shop in 1989.

Thankfully, the blighted site is no longer representative of economic malaise in South Australia.

Major developments have charged ahead in the city, Glenelg, Norwood, Marion and Port Adelaide.

But the former Le Cornu site – sometimes called Adelaide's Bermuda Triangle – is a relic of the bad old days. The latest debacle was the Adelaide City Council's rejection on Monday night of plans by the Makris Group, incorporating a hotel, cinema complex, shops and apartments, to a maximum height of seven storeys.

The council voted unanimously to maintain existing rules, limiting development to three storeys.

The formal motion was moved by Councillor Susan Clearihan and seconded by Councillor Anne Moran. Both are North Adelaide residents.

Monday's decision followed an agonisingly long process which started in January, when the Makris Group unveiled its $100 million plans.

It argued the seven storeys would be allowed under the city council's draft planning rules at the time.

However, these rules were later shelved by the council. At the city council's January 31 meeting, Lord Mayor Michael Harbison spelled out its myopic attitude.

"Whether the rules change or not is in the hands of the people of North Adelaide," he said.

After Monday night's decision, State Planning Minister Paul Holloway's spokesman said the decision "has been a matter entirely for the Adelaide City Council" and he would make no comment until it had been further considered.

Surely it is time for the State Government to intervene, as it has with major developments at Port Adelaide and Glenelg.

Adelaide is a city-state.

North Adelaide should be more than just a dormitory suburb of the CBD. Yet the Le Cornu decision suggests the city council is listening only to conservative elements within North Adelaide who wish to lock the area in a time warp.

Even in the highly unlikely event that all North Adelaide residents were opposed to the Makris development, other factors need to be considered.

It is not only the residents of North Adelaide who have an interest in the development of North Adelaide.

A bold development on a long-vacant site would have generated excitement, just as the Hotel Adelaide refurbishment has.

Excitement generates business for new and existing traders, which spurs further interest and boosts property values.

It is a virtuous cycle.

North Adelaide's history should be preserved but not at the expense of its future.

[Al]

Couldn't agree more with that article, especially the last sentence. Where was that article from anyway?

[Thunderstruck]

Advertiser

[Howie]

It probably wouldn't help but i've emailed the Capital City Committee on this issue. Oh well.. even if I just get a chance to vent my fustrations it's worth it.

http://www.capcity.adelaide.sa.gov.au/html/contact.html

[Will]

All I can say is DISSAPOINTING!

Whilst I agree that the heritage of North Adelaide has to be preserved, this proposal was not a threat to it. Seven levels is definately not high-rise, plus O'connel Street lost its heritage streetscape in the 1960's.

This proposal was an adventurous proposal for Adelaide, but as history has shown before, the people of this city prefer to let the Eastern capitals be adventurous, exciting, different, yet we are not good enough and can only be conservative and safe.

I applaud the developer for not caving in to the anti-progress people, and in my opinion keeping the site an eye sore is the best possible outcome. I believe that no development is better than crap and small development.

[Al]

I really can't see what there is in North Adelaide that deserves to be preserved. I drive through NA every weekday on my way to work and I can't remember a single time I said "that building looks spectacular, let's make sure that doesn't get demolished". It's a load of rubbish! If some residents think those pissy little cottages are worth keeping or that progress will somehow ruin their way of life then I hold deep concerns for the mentality of those residents of NA. It's simply mind boggling that such a trivial matter of building a seven storey building on O'Connell Street (which is full of character buildings... not) has to go through the insane processes that this council has done. For fucks sake, consultations about consultations!?? How can anyone in their right mind would say that an empty block is better than a brand new development as the one rejected? The project is comparible in height to the Adelaide Hotel which is within spitting distance so what's the issue? I totally agree with Makris' decision to keep the lot empty - if the NIMBYs don't want development, then fuck them.

Ahhh, that's better. (Sorry about the rant)

[UrbanSG]

Yeap all good points. Now I don't really care anymore. Let Adelaide CBD, Glenelg, Port Adelaide, West Lakes enjoy large scale, diverse projects which attract people to their areas. North Adelaide can now be fenced off and made its own capital city called NIMBY that goes against progressive developments and is ruled by a couple of Adelaide elite figures. To be honest I have never liked the 'feel' of North Adelaide. The main street is ok but not the rest. You just have to look at some of the people, (not all I must stress), who live there, Amanda Vanstone for a start. Hence the fencing idea would work wonders. I always drive around North Adelaide not through it anyway, says something.

[Howie]

Makris group.. not too happy about the new planning rules not extending through to north adelaide

North Adelaide 'still held back'
By LOUISE TRECCASI
07jan06

A LONG-AWAITED development at the vacant Le Cornu site at North Adelaide will never "get off the ground" unless height restrictions are lifted, the frustrated owners say.

The Makris Group was commenting in the wake of new city planning changes which allow taller buildings and more apartments.

However, there are no height increases in established residential areas such as North Adelaide.

Makris chairman and chief executive Con Makris told The Advertiser the new changes, which came into effect on Thursday, "did not go far enough" and should be extended to North Adelaide.

"For our project to go ahead, it has to be workable but the height restrictions are just not viable for us," Mr Makris said.






"We have plans for cinemas and shops . . .how can you do that on three levels?"

The Makris Group bought the site in 2001 and last year unveiled plans for a development of a hotel, apartments, shops and cinemas. But its plan for a seven-storey building could not proceed because council planning rules limit building heights there to three storeys.

The General and Park Lands Plan Amendment Report, which provide the biggest changes to planning laws in 30 years, also addresses noise control and provide increased protection for the parklands.

As The Advertiser reported yesterday, developers are preparing to flood the city centre with an expected $1 billion worth of major project plans this year alone.

"The old plan has meant unattractive, blob buildings covering the whole site but the increases in height will allow a developer to optimise the site and still have plenty of open space to achieve a better design building," Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said. Adelaide City Council says the new changes will add an extra 1.4 million sq m of floor space with the potential to create $5.8 billion worth of development.

Source : The Advertiser 07/01/2006

[shibby]

i am dissapointed this didnt go through. it was a perfectly fine proposal for the NA area and really didnt have any problems. i think the hieght issue is really stupid and shouldnt be a reason for the development not coming through. the ACC should look into it again and see if compromises can be worked out.

[Al]

This might still be a go-ahead. According to the messenger, Makris has asked the State Gov to make this a major project and therefore bypass ACC objections. The decision will be made within weeks. *Bring it on*

[crawf]

*fingers cross*

[Ben]

PLANS by the Makris Group to build a $100 million hotel, cinema and shopping centre at the former Le Cornu site in North Adelaide have been knocked back again.

Urban Development and Planning Minister Paul Holloway said the proposed nine-storey apartment block and seven-storey commercial block was simply too big, but said he would be seeking further talks with the developers.

"I will be encouraging the company to put forward other development options that would ensure a commercially viable development on this site," Mr Holloway said.

Makris Group general manager Ken Cooney said yesterday the group would "go back to the drawing board" to redesign the O'Connell St site, which has been vacant for 20 years.

Render here:

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html

[Will]

I am confused a little. Did the second Makris proposal (the one knocked back today) still include the 7 star hotel?

Because from what I saw on the news tonight, the second proposal was only apartments. And whilst it is a shame that the second proposal was knocked back, it isn't a surprise. The state governemnt would never grant major project status to an apartment tower.

[crawf]

also wasnt the shopping centre going to be 3-4 levels?

[Ben]

Some bad news. Looks like the makris group have given up as they have lodged an application with the council to demolish existing buildings and build a new restaurant and shops. 2 Levels. The only area getting developed is the land with the existing buildings but they were to be demolished for the hotel which now looks even less likely to go ahead and not only that if it did go ahead, the block would be bits and pieces instead of one matching development.

http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/netc ... attID=1076