This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE South Australian government has appointed global design firm Arup as the principal urban design consultant to master plan the $1 billion former West End Brewery site redevelopment.
The government acquired the 8.4-hectare site from Lion for $61.5 million last September, which will be transformed into a mixed-use community with 1,000 new homes, including at least 20% of affordable housing.
The billion-dollar redevelopment will also provide significant opportunities for commercial, hospitality and retail, in addition to public green space.
“We want to create a world-class precinct in Thebarton and selecting urban design specialists Arup will help deliver our goals. The iconic former brewery site is a significant parcel of land which presents enormous potential, given its proximity to the city, Park Lands, transport options and medical precinct,” said Nick Champion, minister for planning.
“We have an opportunity to deliver a diverse mix of high-quality homes and public space to create a local community with an enviable lifestyle.”
Arup will lead the transformation of the Port Road parcel, with an expert team of Australian and South Australian-based companies including Breathe Architects Australia’s most awarded landscape architects TCL.
“Our team will look at the formation of this mixed-use residential communities through a triple bottom-line lens, exploring how each element can work in harmony to achieve environmental, financial and social sustainability,” said Malcolm Smith, design director at Arup.
“Our Design Team is committed to regenerative practices, instilling vitality in urban spaces through sustainable, restorative, and community-centric approaches.”
The master plan for the site is set to build on the preliminary vision outlined by Renewal SA following its purchase from Lion last year.
“The current housing affordability crisis can only be solved by bringing more housing to market quickly. The 1,000 new homes on this prime site cannot be delivered too quickly,” said Liam Golding, chief executive at Urban Development Institute of Australia – SA.
“The UDIA welcomes the Government’s efforts to deliver housing on this site as quickly as possible and endorses efforts to undertake early design and consultation up front to reduce unnecessary delays.”
The project, which will attract around $1 billion in construction and development value is estimated to create 4000 full-time equivalent jobs during construction, peaking at 1200 per year, plus around 187 new ongoing retail jobs once complete.
“This project will create thousands of jobs for the local economy and once complete will be an ideal place for essential workers to call home,” added Champion.
Work on the development of a master plan for the landmark site is set to begin immediately with construction to commence in 2025 and the first residents anticipated to move in by 2027.
