[COM] Adelaide Convention Centre - Stage 3 | $350m

[metro]

I would love to like this, but there are so many things that bother me, some of the main things are:

- the increased car parking in a city that already has too much
- they are keeping the Riverside Office block and the Intercontinental building. Both are ugly and unworthy of the prestigious location on north tce.
- no loading dock for the convention centre?? or is it just hidden? the existing one was too small and that was out in the open.
- no western entrance to the railway station
- no OBVIOUS entrance to the railway station. It's still tucked away and buried out of sight and completely surrounded by parking stations.
- the footbridge to Adelaide Oval had its budget cut and it shows. why not something as good as this?:


I know it's just a draft, but the more I see, the less faith I have in this redevelopment succeeding.

[crawf]

Here are the flaws I see
- The new commercial/culture building should be at least 100 metres high, or even taller than Westpac House. This is such a grand location that should not be wasted on another low-rise building.

- Agree about the fountains, this could become a unique landmark Adelaide attraction. The Torrens doesn't carry any commercial boats, so that wont be an issue.

- Also agree about the Riverside building/ north-south connection. Though I do like the vision for Station Place

- Pinky Flat Wetlands still seem like a pointless exercise. The River Torrens further upstream along the railway lines and Bonython Park, already has a wild bush feel. This should be promoted as the 'wild' part of the Riverbank.

- Hopefully the footbridge will be wide enough for high foot traffic but still have an amazing eye catching design

- Festival Square has the potential of being a wind-swept white elephant. I don't understand the craze for 'large event spaces'

- Where are the cinemas going to go?. It could attract people to the area if planned right, unlike the former Greater Union on Hindley St

- What about the heritage listing for the Railway Station?, surely it's forbidden to develop alongside and above the historic building?. I still think they should build a brand new complex along the Morphett St Bridge or Pinky Flat (pie in the sky), the current casino has a 'large RSL club feel' in parts.

- What about some cafes and restaurants along the northern riverbank?, to take advantage of the stunning city views

Not fussed about nothing planned for Memorial Drive. The whole thing needs to be demolished and replaced with a brand new arena that will entice international tennis to come back to our city.

- no loading dock for the convention centre?? or is it just hidden? the existing one was too small and that was out in the open.

It's hidden and from my understanding it will be totally undercover.

[Matt]

When can we expect construction on any of this?
From memory I think stage 1 was the footbridge, so I suppose they need to sort the final design for this first. Hope it's not as bland as the mock up in the renders - probably the only disappointment for me aesthetically, the rest looks great.

[Nathan]

There's no dates in the document, but Stage 1 is the footbridge and related infrastructure (bridge, northern bridge landing, southern bridge landing, stair connection and link to railway station, new stairs from Festival Drive level to Dunstan Playhouse plaza level, new escalators from railway station northern forecourt to Riverbank Gateway)

Stage 2 - Festival Square / Car Park & Riverbank Gateway
Stage 3 - Intercontinental & Casion Redevelopment
Stage 4 - Elder Park & Festival Centre frontage
Stage 5 - Riverbank Retail & Natural Riverbank

[Omicron]

Do note that the Intercontinental and Riverside Centre are privately-owned - they can't simply be demolished because we want a nicer path through to the river.

I wonder if there's a bit of doubling-up here - if Elder Park is to be revamped to accommodate '10,000-15,000 people' in major event configuration with a riverbank temporary stage, I'm not quite sure what the expanse of paving atop the Festival Plaza would do any better. And have the authors read their own document? Option 1 for the footbridge (between the shells of the Festival Theatre) is portrayed in every way as absolute bobbins (lowering of War Memorial Drive? Dear me) - put the thing where Option 2 says, then, and be done with it, for goodness sake. And a cinema, for pity's sake? Lord help us. Areas are not energised with buildings that envelop the occupants in isolation for two hours.

Beyond this, I like what I see. Continuous level from KWS to Morphett St? Yes. Plane tree boulevard down Station Rd instead of clumsy branch-dropping things? Yes. New pointy thing for Plenary Hall? Yes. New businesses lining the river? Yes.

[AdelaideAlive]

Here are the flaws I see
- The new commercial/culture building should be at least 100 metres high, or even taller than Westpac House. This is such a grand location that should not be wasted on another low-rise building.

- Agree about the fountains, this could become a unique landmark Adelaide attraction. The Torrens doesn't carry any commercial boats, so that wont be an issue.

- Also agree about the Riverside building/ north-south connection. Though I do like the vision for Station Place

- Pinky Flat Wetlands still seem like a pointless exercise. The River Torrens further upstream along the railway lines and Bonython Park, already has a wild bush feel. This should be promoted as the 'wild' part of the Riverbank.

- Hopefully the footbridge will be wide enough for high foot traffic but still have an amazing eye catching design

- Festival Square has the potential of being a wind-swept white elephant. I don't understand the craze for 'large event spaces'

- Where are the cinemas going to go?. It could attract people to the area if planned right, unlike the former Greater Union on Hindley St

- What about the heritage listing for the Railway Station?, surely it's forbidden to develop alongside and above the historic building?. I still think they should build a brand new complex along the Morphett St Bridge or Pinky Flat (pie in the sky), the current casino has a 'large RSL club feel' in parts.

- What about some cafes and restaurants along the northern riverbank?, to take advantage of the stunning city views

Not fussed about nothing planned for Memorial Drive. The whole thing needs to be demolished and replaced with a brand new arena that will entice international tennis to come back to our city.

- no loading dock for the convention centre?? or is it just hidden? the existing one was too small and that was out in the open.

It's hidden and from my understanding it will be totally undercover.

the cinemas according to the plans are going above the railwaystation/casino which is linked to the food court apparently,i think the clipper destined for port adelaide would of been agreat tourist ataraction on the torrens rather than wasted down at the port,just my opinion

[adam73837]

i think the clipper destined for port adelaide would of been agreat tourist ataraction on the torrens rather than wasted down at the port,just my opinion

Yeah, you make an interesting and valid point, but the problem with that is where would they put it? Plus, would it fit in with the surrounding infrastructure and attractions? In answer to the latter, I'd have to say no based on the designs I've seen.

Here are the flaws I see
- The new commercial/culture building should be at least 100 metres high, or even taller than Westpac House. This is such a grand location that should not be wasted on another low-rise building.

On that note, how tall is the Intercontinental? I understand why you think the new commercial building should be nice and tall, but would it fit in well with the surroundings; and more importantly, is it necessary?

- Festival Square has the potential of being a wind-swept white elephant. I don't understand the craze for 'large event spaces'

Maybe they're expecting people to congregate there to watch the Socceroos play games in the wee hours of the morning? I have to admit, it does seem a little peculiar...

- Where are the cinemas going to go?. It could attract people to the area if planned right, unlike the former Greater Union on Hindley St

With regards to the cinemas, Palace Nova is doing pretty well isn't it? Why would they want to introduce a competitor into the city? It looks like people simply prefer to go the cinemas in the suburbs because they're closer to home; and Palace Nova serves people who want to go see a movie after work, or while dining/heading out in the city. Personally, those are the only times I ever head there anyway.
But I suppose if they're going to build a new cinema next to all this new development, perhaps they could make it a unique type of cinema within Adelaide that would draw people to it for its own uniqueness and not as an alternative to the other multiplexes. After all, if it's going to be nestled next to/within the city's premier Entertainment District, it really should offer more than the other cinemas. What I'm getting at is, why not put an iMax Theatre there? Before you all jump down my throat about how the other one failed, can someone remind me what the real problem with that was? I'm sure that with the right marketing, an iMax Theatre located within this precinct could do alright.
On Page 8 of this document (http://www.imax.com.au/content/resource ... 202007.pdf), it says that the previous iMax Theatres failed due to, I quote, "the result of a combination of film product, management decisions and size of population base". It think this last one would be the major obstacle for a potential Riverside iMax Theatre to overcome. That's just my opinion anyway.

the cinemas according to the plans are going above the railwaystation/casino which is linked to the food court apparently,

If you mean in the new expansion of the Casino, perhaps they could put part of the iMax Screen underground (aren't most of them around 16m tall), thereby ensuring the building doesn't become an unnecessarily large obstacle within the landscape?
I welcome discussion on these.

[crawf]

Here are the flaws I see
- The new commercial/culture building should be at least 100 metres high, or even taller than Westpac House. This is such a grand location that should not be wasted on another low-rise building.

On that note, how tall is the Intercontinental? I understand why you think the new commercial building should be nice and tall, but would it fit in well with the surroundings; and more importantly, is it necessary?

It is necessary. This is a once-off opportunity to build something special at this particular location. A well designed high-rise building would give the northern skyline a much needed revamp and possibly become an Adelaide landmark. The building could incorporate a culture/tourism attraction on the lower levels, while the other levels could feature office space, hotel and luxury apartments. I'm not talking 300 metres, but maybe around the 150-180 metre mark

We need something iconic to stand out. The Intercontinental is around 87 metres / 24 Levels.

- Where are the cinemas going to go?. It could attract people to the area if planned right, unlike the former Greater Union on Hindley St

With regards to the cinemas, Palace Nova is doing pretty well isn't it? Why would they want to introduce a competitor into the city? It looks like people simply prefer to go the cinemas in the suburbs because they're closer to home; and Palace Nova serves people who want to go see a movie after work, or while dining/heading out in the city. Personally, those are the only times I ever head there anyway.
But I suppose if they're going to build a new cinema next to all this new development, perhaps they could make it a unique type of cinema within Adelaide that would draw people to it for its own uniqueness and not as an alternative to the other multiplexes. After all, if it's going to be nestled next to/within the city's premier Entertainment District, it really should offer more than the other cinemas. What I'm getting at is, why not put an iMax Theatre there? Before you all jump down my throat about how the other one failed, can someone remind me what the real problem with that was? I'm sure that with the right marketing, an iMax Theatre located within this precinct could do alright.
On Page 8 of this document (http://www.imax.com.au/content/resource ... 202007.pdf), it says that the previous iMax Theatres failed due to, I quote, "the result of a combination of film product, management decisions and size of population base". It think this last one would be the major obstacle for a potential Riverside iMax Theatre to overcome. That's just my opinion anyway.

the cinemas according to the plans are going above the railwaystation/casino which is linked to the food court apparently,

If you mean in the new expansion of the Casino, perhaps they could put part of the iMax Screen underground (aren't most of them around 16m tall), thereby ensuring the building doesn't become an unnecessarily large obstacle within the landscape?
I welcome discussion on these.

Palace Nova is very successful, though it's more of a upmarket art-house cinema. People do prefer to go the suburbs, due to the fact there is no main-stream cinema in the city. The old ones like Greater Union, Hoyts and Wallis were not designed well or restrictive in size.

A mainstream cinema/arcade/bowling alley is something that the city seriously lacks, and I'm sure if it was well designed and built in either here or Rundle Mall, it would be a great success. Though past cinema and entertainment ventures have scared alot of developers. iMAX sounds good in theory, though I don't think it would be possibly to dig a huge 16 metre hole alongside existing buildings without some major structure damage.

[Vormund]

Hi everyone, new here I have been attracted to this topic because I worked at the Casino.

Just thought I'd point a couple of things based on what I know.

If you mean in the new expansion of the Casino, perhaps they could put part of the iMax Screen underground (aren't most of them around 16m tall), thereby ensuring the building doesn't become an unnecessarily large obstacle within the landscape?
I welcome discussion on these.

Not possible due to the underlying structure really. I think putting it on top is the only real viable option.

- What about the heritage listing for the Railway Station?, surely it's forbidden to develop alongside and above the historic building?. I still think they should build a brand new complex along the Morphett St Bridge or Pinky Flat (pie in the sky), the current casino has a 'large RSL club feel' in parts.

- What about some cafes and restaurants along the northern riverbank?, to take advantage of the stunning city views

As far as I know, the Casino licence is actually tied to the building/location. The location is actually perfect fwiw, but the building isn't good enough. A dedicated casino building will always be better than one that has been adapted.

I've heard they want some more cafes and restaurants, also there are plans to have a small shopping precinct in there somewhere.

[crawf]

I've heard they want some more cafes and restaurants, also there are plans to have a small shopping precinct in there somewhere.

As part of the casino?

Welcome btw

[Vormund]

Shopping precinct and cafe/restaurants would be part of the casino. There would be others seperate like Regattas along that strip as well.

[Ben]

I read today that the Burswood casino in Perth is getting a $750m makeover and will be renamed Crown Casino Perth.

Now that is a renovation.

Wish the packer's owned ours and not some New Zealand company that don't give two hoots.

[Will]

From the Messenger:

Private investors show riverbank interest

Local News15 Dec 11 @ 07:30am by Alice Higgins

PRIVATE investors are tipped to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the State Government’s riverbank overhaul, with up to 10 developers expressing interest in signing on to the project.

The City Messenger has been told at least seven local developers with expertise in a range of industries have expressed interest in throwing money at the neglected riverbank - just three months after the government released its draft master plan for the precinct.

The plan includes a new festival square with cafes and restaurants, wetlands at Pinky Flat, a revamped Elder Park, multi-storey commercial buildings and a footbridge across the Torrens to link with the redeveloped Adelaide Oval.

But the government needs $1 billion in private sector investment to turn its ambitious plans into a reality.

City-based developer Theo Maras, also Rundle Mall Management Authority chairman, said the Maras Group was willing to invest $100 million in the riverbank.

“It is the only waterside public area that we have got attached to the CBD and it is no more than five minutes from everything,” Mr Maras said.

“We would be very interested in the tourist and food and beverage section.

“I would be looking at a combination of Australiana fusion food and quirky eateries mixed with bars and leisure coffee shops.”

Property Council of SA executive director Nathan Paine said seven local developers, ranging from commercial to retail developers, have expressed interest in investing in the riverbank.

“I have had members say to me they would be very interested in opportunities down there,” Mr Paine told the City Messenger this week.

“They are trying to find out more and once that information becomes available they will start to work out what is appropriate for them.”

A spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Pat Conlon said Mr Conlon was “encouraged by the industry’s excitement”.

“He (Mr Conlon) expects there will more people wanting to invest than there are opportunities and that is a very good thing,” the spokesman said.

The government this week announced it would seek expressions of interest from the private sector in January

[ml69]

Here are the flaws I see
- The new commercial/culture building should be at least 100 metres high, or even taller than Westpac House. This is such a grand location that should not be wasted on another low-rise building.

- Agree about the fountains, this could become a unique landmark Adelaide attraction. The Torrens doesn't carry any commercial boats, so that wont be an issue.

- Also agree about the Riverside building/ north-south connection. Though I do like the vision for Station Place

- Pinky Flat Wetlands still seem like a pointless exercise. The River Torrens further upstream along the railway lines and Bonython Park, already has a wild bush feel. This should be promoted as the 'wild' part of the Riverbank.

- Hopefully the footbridge will be wide enough for high foot traffic but still have an amazing eye catching design

- Festival Square has the potential of being a wind-swept white elephant. I don't understand the craze for 'large event spaces'

- Where are the cinemas going to go?. It could attract people to the area if planned right, unlike the former Greater Union on Hindley St

- What about the heritage listing for the Railway Station?, surely it's forbidden to develop alongside and above the historic building?. I still think they should build a brand new complex along the Morphett St Bridge or Pinky Flat (pie in the sky), the current casino has a 'large RSL club feel' in parts.

- What about some cafes and restaurants along the northern riverbank?, to take advantage of the stunning city views

Not fussed about nothing planned for Memorial Drive. The whole thing needs to be demolished and replaced with a brand new arena that will entice international tennis to come back to our city.

I think the masterplan gets it about 80% right, however I agree with many of Crawf's points.

For me, these are the top 5 things I would change/include in the masterplan:

#1. A Vegas-style musical fountain. Could become the iconic Riverbank feature that people tell their friends about, and draws people to the river (especially at night)

#2. Pinky Flat wetlands are wasted. Why would anyone go there? I suggest some active recreation attractions to bring more families into the area. An adventure playground and water park (like the new one in Darling Harbour). Also some waterfront dining/cafes/bars to take advantage of the postcard views looking back to the city.

#3. Nightlighting as a feature. This area deserves to look stunning at night. At the moment, it's pretty dark and unattractive at night. The new footbridge, Morphett St bridge, Festival Centre, Convention Centre and trees should be lit up to make the area sparkle.

#4. Rowing sheds - get rid of them!! Move them west of Morphett St bridge. Then the cafes and outdoor terrace can extend all the way to Morphett St, and link in with future developments west of the bridge.

#5. Festival Square needs an extra 'something' ... could definitely become a white elephant as it's detached from the main hub of Riverbank

[omada]

I think the wetlands are an excellent idea, if done properly. Have boardwalk style trails, good informative signage etc, it will be like an oasis in the city, will bring bird life into the area and provide an insight into life on the Adelaide Plains pre -European conquest, all minutes from the cbd!