Major Projects Update: The city shaping projects underway or planned in Adelaide

Adelaide has designed a new economic future with its competitive cost base and ease of doing business. Multi-million investments in the Lot Fourteen and the BioMed City innovation districts are underpinning new jobs in space, machine learning, big data, health and medical sciences, as well as other emerging sectors. Adelaide’s commitment to its technology infrastructure, most notably Australia’s first 10GBps fibre optic network, makes it an ideal investment location which fosters an environment in which ideas can be conceived, developed and implemented.

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The One Festival Tower project by Walker Corporation, in partnership with Renewal SA, is set to establish a central hub for entertainment, education, dining, and shopping, linking with Adelaide's premier Riverbank attractions such as Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Festival Centre and Adelaide Casino.

The 29-storey Festival Square office tower is poised to become Adelaide's tallest all-electric building, carefully designed to achieve the highest 6-Star Green Star rating, a 5.5-star NABERS rating and connections to all major transport links including trains, trams, buses and cycle paths.

Spanning 45,000sq m of A-grade office space, it will cater to both local and international businesses. The tower has secured tenancy commitments from leading global and local companies such as Mott McDonald, VALO, Vircura, Ikara Estates, Flinders University and Deloitte. Allianz will be among the first tenants to move in, occupying almost 4,000sq m across levels 15 and 16.

A second tower was proposed for the site with developer Walker Corporation handing a formal proposal to the State Government early 2023.

Value: $1 billion

Status: Under construction - due for completion in 2024

Construction of Adelaide’s high-tech medical and research facility is nearing completion.

The SAHMRI-operated Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research, originally known as SAHMRI 2, will be a world-class clinical and research facility within Adelaide BioMed City's $3.8B Health and Medical Innovation District, delivering advanced radiation treatment of cancers and other tumours.

Adelaide developer, Commercial & General, appointed Lendlease to build the 15-storey, 33,000sq m biomedical development, which includes three below ground levels,11 levels of dry lab space and 10 clinical trial rooms. It will also be home to leading cancer researchers, clinicians and the SA government’s Department for Health and Wellbeing teams.

The facility is expected to treat its first patients approximately 18 months following the project completion date, which is imminent. 

Value: $500 million

Status: Construction nearing completion

Key facts:

• Designed by internationally renowned architects, Woods Bagot.
• First clinically dedicated proton therapy centre in the Southern Hemisphere, with Adelaide likely to beat Buenos Aires to the title.
• Patient treatments will begin in 2025. Once fully operational, the facility will have the ability to treat about 600 to 700 patients a year.

In an ambitious $400 million plan, the proposed Keystone Tower would surpass 150-metres in height, making it the tallest building in Adelaide and towering the iconic Freemasons Hall on North Terrace.

The developer, the Pelligra Group, has expanded the Keystone Tower project, elevating the building's height from 160m to 183m. It would eclipse the city's current tallest building — the Crowne Plaza — by 45m.

The envisioned design features a 240-room hotel, student accommodation, conference facilities, a business lounge, a wellness retreat, and a three-story observation deck. Notably, it is proposed to be the location for a new social history museum by the History Trust of South Australia. Plans for its submission for planning approval are anticipated later this year.

The Freemasons SA & NT will retain the existing historic hall as part of this transformative development.

Value: $400 million

Status: Planned

Key facts:

• The tower would span 33,000sq m across at least 33-storeys.
• The Freemasons will retain more than 50 per cent ownership of the building, allowing it to boost annual donations to not-for-profit organisations from $2.6 million to $5 million.

The construction of the $450 million Charter Hall development on King William Street is now completed.

More than 1,500 local jobs have been created during construction period.

The 14-storey office tower features 40,000sq m of premium A-Grade office space, including a roof top terrace on level 14, and 3,600sqm of premium retail, food and lifestyle space on the ground floor. Over 3,500 employees are expected to occupy commercial office and retail leasing space within the building.

Services Australia which manages public services including Centrelink and Medicare, has entered a 10-year lease for 28,500sq m across 10 floors at the development, which means more than 2,200 non-customer-facing staff are relocating to the completed building.

Telstra has signed a 10-year lease for 6,000sq m across two levels of the building, meaning there is only 4,500sq m to be filled in what will be Adelaide's largest office building by area.

NAB will also occupy about 3700sq m of space across two levels of the 14-level building, down from more than 6000sq m in its current city headquarters on 22 King William Street.

Value: $450 million

Status: Development works completed

Key facts:

• Designed by Cox Architecture.
• Constructed by Built.
• Ten Gigabit Adelaide connected.
• Will operate at net zero emissions.

Demolition and construction works commenced on the $400 million Market Square development on 1 June 2023. 

A joint venture between the City of Adelaide and ICD Property, the redevelopment will incorporate an expansion of the Adelaide Central Market together with an all-electric commercial office tower, retail, on-site childcare, new residences, a premium hotel and activated public spaces known as Market Square.

The 39-storey development, which includes new retail space, a seven-level all-electric commercial office tower, childcare centre, luxury residences, hotel and garden retreat, will not impact opening hours of Federal Hall where stallholders are located.

According to figures provided by developer ICD Property, which is collaborating with City of Adelaide on the project, 98 per cent of residences sold within the first few weeks of launch.

Treehouse Hotels will open its first Australian location at the Central Market Arcade site following a competitive selection process undertaken by developer ICD Property and joint venture partner the Adelaide City Council. It will will offer 248 rooms across 10 levels in the development's 39-storey tower. It will also feature a restaurant and bar with outdoor seating, a street-front cafe showcasing local produce, more than 500sq m of indoor and outdoor event space and more than 230sq m of fitness and wellness facilities.

The commercial component and first-stage apartments are due for completion in 2025, ahead of the new retail offering and hotel in 2026. Once completed the project will feature the hotel, 234 apartments, 21,700sq m of A-grade office space, a 11,000sq m-plus retail precinct and a 3000sq m elevated garden.

Value: $400 million

Status: Under construction

Key facts:

• The project will feature 15,000sq m of A-grade office space.
• Commercial office to support 750+ employees.
• More than an additional 1 million visitors per annum resulting in a projected 10 million visitors to the market district each year.
• 15 per cent of apartments will be affordable housing.
• A further two new floors of apartments were added to the tower to cater for demand, while a $10 million penthouse caught the eye of buyers around the world.
• Ten Gigabit Adelaide connected.

The $400 million Entrepreneur and Innovation Centre (EIC) at Lot Fourteen is due to commence construction in 2024.

The 16 level, 41,000 square metre building is central to the district and home to a $20 million Innovation Hub.

The 16-storey, campus-style Innovation Hub, the flagship building at the site, has been specifically designed to suit the secure environment for defence, space, and hi-tech businesses, education and research institutions.

Six state-heritage buildings, a cafe, the Hanson building and five new buildings are also in the development plans, with 90 per cent of the available space now being tenanted and demand increasing. 

Quintessential Equity was chosen to develop the building, which is scheduled for completion in mid-2024.

Commonwealth Bank’s CIO for Technology, Brendan Hopper, said the bank will establish a Technology Hub in South Australia to take advantage of the state’s focus and investment in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Value: $400 million

Status: Construction pending

Key facts:

• Located on the corner of Frome Road and North Terrace.
• Work commenced in 2017 after the demolition of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
• Its construction will create approximately 430 jobs at project peak.
• Once completed, the EIC will be the workplace for between three and four thousand workers across high-growth industries
• Lot Fourteen is the cornerstone of the Adelaide City Plan.
• Touchless features for a safe and healthy work environment.
• International tenants include Amazon Web Services, LVX Global, MIT bigdata Living Lab, and Google Cloud Services.
• Ten Gigabit Adelaide connected.

SA developer, Commercial & General, is transforming the long-vacant old Le Cornu site in North Adelaide with the ambitious $250 million Eighty-Eight O'Connell development.

The plans include a bustling market square, outdoor dining and play spaces, a Green Urban School, short-stay accommodation and apartment and townhouse living. The completion of this transformation is anticipated by 2029.

The project which is rapidly taking shape will feature two 13-storey towers and one 15-storey tower, connected by a two-storey podium.

Plans include retail and commercial tenancies on the ground, first and second floors. These tenancies are anticipated to open in mid-2025.

There will be 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.

Value: $250 million

Status: Under construction

Key facts:

• The development would support about 430 jobs during construction and up to 500 ongoing roles once completed in 2024.
• Ten Gigabit Adelaide connected (TBC).

Marriott International, the world's largest hotel company, is making significant progress for the completion of construction of its inaugural venture into the Adelaide market with a $200 million development. The project is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2024.

Construction contractor, BESIX Watpac, is overseeing the development for developer Greaton.

The luxury 5-star, 15-storey building will comprise 285 rooms, including a Presidential Suite, a Club Lounge, signature restaurants and bars, a swimming pool, a fitness centre, as well as function and conference rooms.

Greaton will complete the hotel before it commences work on a second stage, which involves a major revamp of the State Heritage-listed GPO building which forms part of the development fabric of the project.

Value: $200 million

Status: Under construction

Key facts:

• According to the State Heritage register, the GPO building is one of South Australia’s “most important public buildings”.
• The new development is located on the grounds of an office tower extension that was added to the original post office in the 1920s. The remaining part of the building, which was constructed in the late 1860s and early 1870s, will be preserved, with certain sections being integrated into the structure of the new hotel.

CEL Development is planning to build the Hyatt Regency – a new $160 million hotel which will replace an existing building at 51 Pirie Street.

Plans were redone in mid-2020 to incorporate an event space, market cafe, swimming pool, fitness facilities and rooftop bar. 

Status: Approved.

The State Commission Assessment Panel has granted approval to Adelaide-based developer Guava Lime for their project, developed in collaboration with architect Loucas Zahos and Equinox Property. The plans include a 36-level hotel comprising 347 rooms at 75 King William Street.

Designed by Loucas Zahos Architects, it will have frontages on Currie Street and Gilbert Place.

The hotel will replace a largely vacant seven-storey office building that previously housed the Adelaide Metro information centre and retail on its ground floor.

Value: $150 million

Status: Under construction

Key facts:

• Construction on the project is expected to be completed by Q4 2026.

The Victoria Tower development transforms the site at 8 Grote Street into a $200 million, 37-storey apartment tower located in a prime location opposite the Council and ICD's redevelopment of the Adelaide Central Market Arcade.

The development will span across 1,214sq m, will become the city's fourth-tallest building in the CBD at 122m. It will feature 285 apartments with six penthouses on the top two levels, two of which will have more than 600sq m of living space. 

There will be shops and cafes on its ground floor, with car parking.

Value: $200 million

Status: Under construction

Key facts:

• Developer, Auta Group, has said 60 per cent of the apartments have already been sold, while local businesses had been secured for most of the eight levels of commercial office space.
• Synergy Construct is overseeing the project, due to be completed June 2025.

The Government of South Australia has planned a new $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide at the SAPOL Barracks site.

The hospital will be co-located with Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide BioMed City on Port Road.

It will be 25 per cent bigger than the current hospital in North Adelaide.

More than 30,000 square meters of Park Lands would be more accessible to the public by being opened up, landscaped and paved, with new family play facilities and green spaces to enhance patient recovery.

Value: $3.2 billion

Status: Planned

Key facts:

• Designed by Woods Bagot with Bates Smart, Jacobs and BD.
• 25 per cent larger that the current hospital in North Adelaide.
• It will house 56 more overnight beds than the current hospital in North Adelaide and a larger Emergency Department with 43 treatment spaces.
• There will be a dedicated helipad with direct access to critical clinical areas.
• Additional enabling works to prepare the site are planned to commence in 2024, while construction works are scheduled for completion in 2030-2031 and will be determined during future planning.

Siteworks have commenced on the Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre at Lot Fourteen on the site of the former Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The project, which has been re-quoted for $400-$600 million in October 2023, will be known by its Kaurna name Tarrkarri (pronounced ta-ka-ri), which translates to the future. 

Once completed, the Centre will provide a platform for the world to learn about the unique cultures and incredible story of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

An Aboriginal Economic Participation Strategy will ensure more jobs and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the construction stage.

Original plans showed the building would span 12,500sq m over three levels, which would make it bigger than the SA Museum and Art Gallery combined and one of Australia’s largest cultural institutions.

The Centre was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Woods Bagot and Lendlease is the lead contractor managing the construction.

Status: Project implementation under review by the State Government.

Key facts:

• It is estimated between 485,000 and 581,000 people would visit the centre in its first year, with the figure estimated to increase to up to 665,000 people by 2040.
• This is an Adelaide City Deal project.
• Construction was put on hold in October 2023, after the project’s managing contractor advised of a $50 million cost blow-out.

A 28-storey health and medical and health research hub will tower over one of the state's oldest buildings as part of the $450 million Trinity City development on North Terrace.

The building is set to be constructed on land behind Adelaide's oldest surviving building — the Holy Trinity Church on North Terrace — which will undergo a major restoration as part of the project. 

That building, along with two other local heritage-listed buildings on the site, will be retained and enhanced as part of the development.

Developed by 1835 Capital and Marlborough Capital, the building will have 22 levels of office space, 173 car parks, a 70-place childcare centre, a 200-seat auditorium, as well as 360-degree views to the Adelaide Parklands, Adelaide Hills and coast.

The developers say Trinity City will be the “bridge” between Adelaide’s existing $3.8 billion BioMed City precinct, which is home to SAHMRI, UniSA and University of Adelaide, and the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Status: Application lodged

Key facts:

• The developers have focused on a "post pandemic design" which includes touchless technology throughout, HVAC systems with full flush and disinfection capabilities, floorplate design for social and workplace distancing and specially designed surfaces that are made from material that germs cannot thrive on.
• Ten Gigabit Adelaide connectivity.

Little National hotel chain will expand beyond the East Coast and open on North Terrace, offering affordable luxury accommodation.

The Doma Group will build the 23-storey building — between the Oaks Embassy and Horizons Tower — that includes 140 Little National Hotel Rooms, 26 "big" rooms and 48 one- or two-bedroom suites.

There will also be a two-storey private lounge and public bar, both with 360-degree views of the Adelaide Hills, beach and park lands.

Status: Site works have commenced.

Key facts:

• Completion is expected for the second half of 2025.

Almost 200 new residences will be available on the western side of Waymouth Street when the $106 million Cullinan development opens its doors in 2024.

The 18-storey tower, which replaces John Reynolds Music City, features 192 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, a gym, communal spaces and pool.

Residents will have access to a hi-tech car stacking system, which acts as a personal valet service.

The ground and mezzanine floors have been set aside for retail outlets, with a restaurant, cafe and sandwich bar lined up for the building.

Status: Under Construction.

Key facts:

• More than 200 jobs created during construction.
• Completion estimated for 2024.

A 26-storey boutique hotel with 200 rooms has been planned for Franklin Street. 

A report to the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) said there had been interest from hotel operators.

Status: Approved

Key facts:

• Originally approved as an apartment block.

The State Commission Assessment Panel has approved Melbourne developer, Gurner Group, in conjunction with landowner, Kennards Self Storage, to build a $1.25 billion mixed-use development at the former Australia Post site.

The plan features five towers, the tallest being a 28-storey, 95-metre apartment building on the corner of Grote and Blenheim Street.

The development will occur over 10 years allowing the developers to construct the five towers gradually rather than all at once.

600 apartments are planned for the development along with a 220-room hotel, 3242sq m of retail space, 2401sq m of commercial space and 3157sq m of recreation space.

Residents will have access to entertainment, retail, co-working spaces and a private club.

Status: Approved

Key facts:

• A carbon neutral development.
• The development proposes 15 per cent affordable housing.

Adelaide's tallest building and first skyscraper, the 55-level SA1 Tower, was recently approved to be built on the corner of Pulteney and Flinders Streets.

The development will eclipse the height of the city's highest building, The Crowne Plaza on Frome Street, by 18 levels or 42.2m.

It will include 332 residential apartments, 160 tourist accommodation rooms and three restaurants.

It would have carparking on levels one to nine, tourist accommodation on levels 13 to 20, residential apartments on levels 22 to 50 and penthouses on levels 51 to 53.

A sky lounge, restaurant, bar, swimming pool and spa has been planned for level 11 as well as a private dining/function area and gym on level 12.

The development will stand at 180m tall, fitting the definition of a skyscraper that a building must be 150m tall.

The SA1 tower was designed by JPE Design Studio and Cox Architecture.

Status: Approved and development is currently under review.

Key facts:

• The tower has no provisions for affordable housing.

Uninterrupted views overlooking the Adelaide Park Lands are among the drawcards of the mixed-use Rymill Park Apartments development.

On the southeastern corner of Hutt St and East Tce, it would replace a two-level office building and include 56 parking spaces, a penthouse, conference room, common lounge and rooftop garden.

There will be one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments available, including two penthouses on the top two levels.

Status: Approved

A 16-storey, 53m tall apartment block will be built behind the state heritage-listed King's Head Hotel on King William Street.

The $53 million proposed tower includes 36-serviced apartments, a penthouse suite, level one hotel function area and a ground floor commercial tenancy.

The two-storey rear wing of the historic pub will be demolished to make way for the development, however, its circa-1870s frontage on King William St and Sturt St would be retained.

A hotel operator will be appointed for the development, with further design work commencing later in 2023.

Status: Approved

Key facts:

• The development is a joint venture between Catcorp Pty Ltd and Kings Head Hotel owner, Patrick Marcucci

National technology company NEXTDC is currently constructing a world-class data centre — A1 — at the former city beach volleyball site on Pirie Street.

NEXTDC has invested more than $100 million into the project, which will add key technology capability to South Australia’s world-class hi-tech ecosystem.

The six storey A1 will include an Innovation Centre to create an entrepreneurial incubation hub to cultivate local technology expertise, as well as offer opportunities to collaborate with the state’s universities.

Status: Under Construction

Key facts:

• The building will be South Australia’s first fault tolerant, Uptime Institute Tier IV certified data centre facility.
• It will deliver 5MW of critical power and cloud interconnection capability.

More affordable housing in the CBD is at the heart of a new multimillion-dollar project to transform the former Franklin Street bus terminal into a twin tower complex.

The City of Adelaide endorsed Renewal SA as the preferred proponent to redevelop the 6850sq m site that will accommodate more than 1000 residents across 392 apartments. More than a third of all apartments have been flagged as affordable housing for rent or purchase.

One tower will be 18 storeys, while the other will be 26 storeys

The redevelopment, named Tapangka (Kaurna for “the experience of the journey”), will also include a 208- key hotel, significant commercial office space along with retail, food and beverage that would act as complementary extensions of the Adelaide Central Market experience.

Status: Under design development.

Key facts:

• 35 per cent of the 392 apartments that will be built will be allocated to affordable housing. 
• Will be able to house 1000 people.

Outdoor working areas, a bar and collaborative spaces are all part of a $10 million commercial development slated for Hutt Street.

The building caters to the hybrid working model and would suit businesses that are downsizing or do not need as many fixed desks or extra rooms.

Status: Proposed

Key facts:

• The building will include standard offices and suitable for medical consultants.

To keep up to date with Council developments, visit Plans SA's major developments activity tracker. To find out more about investing in Adelaide, click here