News & Discussion: Never Builts

[Will]

I have been collecting development related material since the late 1990s and have participated in development forums since 2002. As such I have seen many of the projects in Adelade throughout their entire development process; from the moment when the application was lodged with the council up to the final stage when the building is ready for human habitation. However not all projects eventuate. This forum is dedicated to those developments which for varying reasons never managed to grace our city.

[Will]

I'll start of with 2 buildings which due to their sites are quite relevant for discussion.

The first one was proposed back in 2002 for the site now intended for the Hills World HQ. The development was for a 9 level building rising to a height of 29m. The building was purely residential with the exception of the ground floor which included some retail tenancies. This project actually came before council in 2003, where if memory serves me correctly was rejected because it contained to many apartments for the size of the building. The developers behind it never lodged a revised application.





The second never built was intended for the former Repco site ae 374-400 KWS. Prior to the current project there were 3 previous proposals which all failed to get off the ground, with this one either the first or second proposal. This project was known as 'Queens Apartments'. Pre-selling for these apartments was rather underwhelming leading to this projects axing.

[Shuz]

I'm very glad neither of these went ahead, they would have further stymied the potential for high-rise development as is occuring now, and would've gave further precedent for the city council to retain the height limitations as it was in this area.

[Omicron]

I'm very glad neither of these went ahead, they would have further stymied the potential for high-rise development as is occuring now, and would've gave further precedent for the city council to retain the height limitations as it was in this area.

I'm glad neither went ahead because they're abominable dross.

[crawf]

The Repco proposal could of looked good..

[Xaragmata]

Multi-Function Polis (MFP) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifunction_Polis

[Will]

Now that I have a bit of thime here are a few more:

Maximo Apartments - 261-269 Pulteney Street

This building was proposed back in 2002. It was an 8 level residential apartment building containing 33 apartments including top floor penthouses. One can see how extreme the jump in property prices have been in the last few years, because the ad that I have for this project states that apartments are priced from $199 000 ranging to the 242sqm2 top floor penthouse with rooftop terrace at $699 000. The building would have featured ground floor retail and an underground carpark. The building would have also featured a lap pool, gym and sauna for exclusive use of the residents. Construction was slated to begin in early 2003; in fact the developers had even constructed a display apartment on the site. However lack of interest killed off this building.




Centro Apartments - 266-274 Pulteney Street

Located almost opposite Maximo Apartments above, this project was also proposed around the same era. It was for a 6 level building containing 23 apartments. However unlike Maximo, 5 apartments in this complex were actually sold. Despite this, it never eventuated. The building would have also featured ground level retail and an exclsuive gym and lap pool for residents.

[Will]

I thought I might revive this thread with another building which never came to fruition:

It is Fresh at Glenelg. It was proposed by Urban Construct in 2004 on the back of the hugely succesful Libert Towers and Platinum, both of which sold out in a couple of days. However the problem was that many of the apartments in the 2 aforementioned buildings had been bought by investors hoping to make a quick profit by buying cheaper off the plan and then selling once the building was complete. Many investors did this causing an oversupply of apartments at Glenelg. Seeing this, and the subsequent price correction, sales became very sluggish on this building and it was withdrawn by Urban Construct. However, a sales centre was built for it, the remnants of which can still be seen in the building at the corner of Anzac Highway and Sussex Street. Fresh was to be a 5 level building containing 182 apartments. It would ahve contained a rooftop health club with gym, pool, spa and sauna as well as its own private cinema. Urban Constrcut reported that it had received over 900 registrations of interest in the project, of which very few actually became sales.

[Shuz]

Fresh sits on a very good site for another high-rise proposal to come forth - much like Liberty Towers, which I hope happens. At first I had hoped to see it go ahead, but now I think we're better off without it - as it holds greater development promise.

The biggest N/B would have been the MATS plan; although that was largely an 'urban planning' project, than a specific development itself.

As for 'buildings' wasn't there a former proposal for the Liberty Towers site, occupying only about half the block as it does now? And Platinum at Glenelg was supposed to be 15 levels high, not the 9 level - which I'd rather as it is actually.

There was another proposal for a 70m tower to squeeze in between Waymouth Exchange and Rendevous Allegra, which was to be Australia's thinnest skyscraper and like 8m width I think?

Also suprised no-ones mentioned Capital City Observation Tower Project?

[Will]

Fresh sits on a very good site for another high-rise proposal to come forth - much like Liberty Towers, which I hope happens. At first I had hoped to see it go ahead, but now I think we're better off without it - as it holds greater development promise.

The biggest N/B would have been the MATS plan; although that was largely an 'urban planning' project, than a specific development itself.

As for 'buildings' wasn't there a former proposal for the Liberty Towers site, occupying only about half the block as it does now? And Platinum at Glenelg was supposed to be 15 levels high, not the 9 level - which I'd rather as it is actually.

There was another proposal for a 70m tower to squeeze in between Waymouth Exchange and Rendevous Allegra, which was to be Australia's thinnest skyscraper and like 8m width I think?

Also suprised no-ones mentioned Capital City Observation Tower Project?

Patience Shuz. In time I will post some information on all those projects that you have mentioned plus more!.

[Will]

Ok then, 1 more for today:

The project is Pinnacle and it was proposed by the Mattioli Group, (the same developer behind the Rendeszvous Allegra re-development) back in 2003. At 72m tall and only 6m wide it would have been the building with the largest difference in plot to height ratio; 12:1!

The building was to be located at 63 Waymouth Street between the Rendeszvous Allegra Hotel and the Waymouth Exchange, in the space currently occupied by a 2 level building.

The building was to be 21 levels high, with each floor offering 180sqm2 of office space. In fact the entire building only had a NLA of 3570sqm2. Each floor was to be serviced by 2 lifts and it would ahve had internal access to the Rendeszvous Allegra.

The building was marketed using a similar strategy as the Aurora on Pirie development in that each floor was individually offered for sale to 'owner occupiers'.

I suspect that this project failed because it is not fashionable to occupy such small floor plates, but nevertheless it is a bit of a shame that this development never eventuated as it would have become a quirky addition to our skyline.

The architects for it were Pruszisnki Architects:

[Shuz]

Sorry Will for rushing through!

I hope the Pinnacle can be ressurected in some form one day; if not - at least wait until the Telstra Exchange goes up for demolition and merge the two land titles!

[Norman]

Funny that actiually, the site for Fresh is actually a motel I stayed in while holidaying in Adelaide, back in 1997.

[Omicron]

The Atlantic Tower at Glenelg was just one of a proposed series of cylindrical towers running from Anzac Highway through to Jetty Rd. I'm sure I've come across a photo of a model of the proposal, but I'll be damned if I can find it now that I want to use it.

[Will]

The Atlantic Tower at Glenelg was just one of a proposed series of cylindrical towers running from Anzac Highway through to Jetty Rd. I'm sure I've come across a photo of a model of the proposal, but I'll be damned if I can find it now that I want to use it.

The Atlantic Tower was actually the smallest of the 4 proposed cylindrical towers. The other were proposed at 16 levels, 18 levels and 24 levels if memory serves me correct. It was envisaged that each building in the complex would have a helipad on its roof with the complex having its private fleet of helicopters to fly its inhabitants to work in the morning and flying them back in the evening.

Mid way through construction, the developer went broke, leaving the Atlantic Tower as an empty shell for 8 years until it was bought by a local developer who finally had it completed in 1980.