[COM] Rundle Place | 76m | 15lvls | Retail & Office

[Jim]

from the Adelaide review
Retail, Office Tower Planned for Rundle Mall
Chris Day
16Jul08

Harris Scarfe chief Robert Atkins says it's only "early days" for the new retail and office tower project.
A 19-STOREY retail and office tower is planned for the heart of Rundle Mall.

The project would see the demolition of department store Harris Scarfe, which runs between the mall and Grenfell St.

The applicant, Alteman (SA), which owns the Harris Scarfe building, lodged plans with the City Council on Wednesday, (July 16).

It is the first major development application to emerge since the State Government took control of projects worth more than $10 million from the City Council, on Monday (July 14).

Alteman declined to comment on the project this week.

However, Harris Scarfe chief executive Robert Atkins said it was ``very early days'' for the development .

``We're keen to redevelop our store within the mall,'' Mr Atkins told the City Messenger.

``The developer has got to determine whether they can get the development over the line.

``We're in discussions with a number of parties about that potential. They are ongoing and we don't expect that to be resolved in the short-term.''

The new building would include four levels of retail space, 14 levels of offices and a rooftop car park.

Mr Atkins said Harris Scarfe had a long-term lease on the existing building and any plan to redevelop the site would need the company's backing.

Under new regulations, the proposal will be assessed by the state's Development Assessment Commission.

The government last week stripped the council's Development Assessment Panel of its role in assessing large-scale projects, saying it would remove ``local politics'' from the approval system and encourage building growth.

The council has condemned the decision, saying it was made without warning or consultation.

[aussie2000]

^^ again with the roof top car park?

[Jim]

What a great site and huge as well, this is the ideal location for a real land mark building or buildings. This is the opportunity to really get some life into the mall, a 24 hour building as well as offices would bring life to the dead mall at night, why not add another 20 levels of apartments/hotel on top with an observation deck.

[monotonehell]

Does anyone have a photo of the orange building on the corner of Gawler Place. I have no idea what its called. If its the one I'm thinking of, I think it should stay (heritage). It's got a very 50's/60's English look to it.

Do you mean the DaCosta Building? I've never liked it much. Worked in it for a couple of years and it's in dire need of demolition.. I mean renovation....

[Ho Really]

Does anyone have a photo of the orange building on the corner of Gawler Place. I have no idea what its called. If its the one I'm thinking of, I think it should stay (heritage). It's got a very 50's/60's English look to it.

Do you mean the DaCosta Building? I've never liked it much. Worked in it for a couple of years and it's in dire need of demolition.. I mean renovation....

I've been in this building several times way back in the late sixties-early seventies. In those days there wasn't the Sun Alliance building or the Grenfell Centre so it was rather impressive in Grenfell Street. I wonder whether it has any heritage value. It looks a lot like something transplanted from North America. Maybe a renovation (mostly internal I guess) would be OK.

Cheers

[Howie]

$150 million tower for Harris Scarfe site

Chris Day (Messenger News)
22Jul08

A 19-STOREY retail and office tower is planned for the heart of Rundle Mall.

The $150 million project, first reported by citymessenger.com.au last Friday, would see the demolition of the Harris Scarfe department store, between the mall and Grenfell St.

The applicant, Alteman (SA), which owns the Harris Scarfe building, lodged plans with the City Council on Wednesday, July 16. It is the first major application to emerge since the State Government announced on July 14 it would take control of projects worth more than $10 million from the City Council.

This development will still be assessed by the city council planning staff and judged by the council's Development Assessment Panel because the new regulations were not gazetted until July 17.

Alteman declined to comment on the project this week.

However, Harris Scarfe chief executive Robert Atkins said it was ``very early days'' for the development.

``We're keen to redevelop our store within the mall,'' he told the City Messenger. ``The developer has got to determine whether they can get the development over the line.

``We're in discussions with a number of parties about that potential. They are ongoing and we don't expect that to be resolved in the short-term.''

The new building would include four levels of retail space, 14 levels of offices and a rooftop car park.

The high-rise office component would front Grenfell St and be set back from the mall.

The building would include a shopping arcade, linking the mall with Grenfell St. Mr Atkins said Harris Scarfe had a long-term lease on the building and any plans to redevelop the site would need the company's backing.

The government last week stripped the council's DAP of its role in assessing large-scale projects, saying it would remove ``local politics'' from the approval system and encourage building growth.

The council has condemned the decision, saying it was made without warning or consultation.

[UrbanSG]

Awesome!!!! That looks ten times better than all the City Central developments.

[Snorkie]

Wow that looks pretty good, hoping that left half of the building isnt exposed concrete though. Cant quite work out whether that is looking from Grenfell or rundle? Assuming thats the grenfell frontage. As the article says though its a while off which sucks a bit

[Norman]

I'm liking that!

[Mants]

looks great!
good to hear we will have another arcade going from the mall to grenfell street. it also looks like this will have more of a street presence on grenfell street, unlike the current harris scarfe frontage.
harris scarfe is possibly the worst thing about grenfell street, hopefully this development will liven it up a bit!

i await more renders, particularly of the eastern and northern elevations.

[Jim]

If this is the Grenfell Street side I hope the veranda is more substantial than it looks as there will be a lot of wet bus users.

[SRW]

Initial impressions are favourable, but the render is hardly clear. I'll await further releases.

[Shuz]

It does appeareth to look quite good. There seems to be a new fad in town with the use of these vertical 'blades'. Spire has them, Tivoli has a small one, Altitude has them. Pretty sure thats the Grenfell St side - and the U-Park appears retained.

[raulduke]

Awesome!!!! That looks ten times better than all the City Central developments.

well it wouldnt take much architectural nouse to tip that mantle...

the next pin i would like to see fall is the GHD building, which is absolutely terrible

[Hippodamus]

Yes, it certainly is an improvement from this Currie Street perspective. I would have liked to see if a section of the original Harris Scarfe facade retained (either from Rundle Mall or Currie St, or both!), possibly worked into a portion of the arcade or something. It would be a referral to the sites past.

in addition, the GHD building isn't the most modern or glassy building in our skyline. but it's from the funky 60's era, and in my opinion, if renovated properly could be very retro / new york city / bohemian style warehouse apartments. let's not forget people, some of these older buildings really add a lot of integrity to our city. otherwise, it would all be City Central over the entire squre mile, not just one block... not that exciting if you ask me...

I say, let us move forward with new construction but with embracing the past character and era of Adelaide's social and economic development.