Sensational-Adelaide.com

Islington rail site to be new housing estate
By GREG KELTON
19jul06
CONTAMINATED former railways land at Islington will be remediated and developed into housing for students and retired people.

The development and remediation to rid the site of fuel spills, heavy metals and some asbestos are expected to cost about $35 million.

The State Government has sold the 5.4ha site, bounded by Churchill and Regency roads, and abandoned since 2001, for a new estate to be known as Palm Gardens.

It will be a joint venture between Palm Gardens Retirement Villages and Kimber Project Management, which won the tender to buy after about 100 expressions of interest.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith, who is the local MP and had campaigned for the site to be transferred to residential use, said there would also be open space and a health and community centre on the site.

Dr Lomax-Smith and Premier Mike Rann inspected the site yesterday. Mr Rann said it would be significantly improved and, importantly, the development would fit in well with nearby residential areas.

Kimber managing director Graham Kimber said depending on how quickly Prospect Council could handle planning and rezoning applications, development could be under way within six to eight months.

He said about 140 retirement units were planned for the site as well as some commercial and other supporting facilities.

Mr Kimber said student housing close to the railway station had been provided on the initial development plan favoured by the council.

The site is only 6.5km from the Adelaide CBD and adjoins the railway line to Salisbury, Elizabeth and Gawler.

"It's a great thing for the neighbours," Dr Lomax-Smith said. "This is all about position, position, position.

"It is right next to a railway station and within cooee of the CBD. It has it all."

Dr Lomax-Smith said residents in the area had been concerned the site would revert to light industrial use.

"There was overwhelming support for remediation of the site and a residential outcome," she said.

Prospect Council chief executive Ray Pincombe said the council was "pretty pleased" about the future of the site.

"The planned development is more in tune with what Prospect is all about," he said.

He said the council believed it could fast-track planning.

About time! Sorry to sound like a realestate agent, but look at the location.. you couldn't really get any closer to city/north adelaide... it's rare to find such a big parcel of land so close to cbd, hopefully they'll do something with the maintenance yards 500m north of them also.

Does anyone know if the old bluestone workshops will be retained and converted to apartments or some other sort of accomodation?

It would be a great shame to lose these magnificent buildings.

The Media frequently get this wrong, the area they are calling Islington Works is the Old TNT Railway yards. It’s next to Islington Works and you can tell which one it is, by seeing the White Container Lift on the site.

Islington Workshops, which is the Railway Workshops of the former SAR now owned by Genesee & Wyoming Australia, are not going to be touched by this redevelopment. Which is a good thing, while it may look abandoned. It is becoming an even more important in the rail scene again, with several projects currently happening at the moment there.

Thanks Tom,



Is this map right?

Cheers

I thought it was that smaller block on the southern side regency road. That's the one with the "under contract" sign on that block.

Here, i've got a map.

Howie wrote:I thought it was that smaller block on the southern side regency road. That's the one with the "under contract" sign on that block.

You are right, its the smaller block with the Under contract sign. That was the Old TNT yards.

Thanks for clearing that up, peeps

Here's a shot of the site i took this morning.

Nice pic

I Cant wait for this hell hole to be redeveloped

i wouldnt call it a hell hole... there are some really nice old buildings around there

Bit of a cleanup from the older thread... this is a continuation from the original islington railway site thread. We'll post renders, plans so forth here when they become available.



From majorprojects site.

Organisation: Palm Grove/Kimber Project Management
Project Title: 250 Churchill Road, Prospect
Project Details: Site remediation and construction of retirement village/commercial development.
Contact: Mr Graham Kimber
Position:
Email:
Phone:
Mobile: 0412 006 886
Project Cost: $35,000,000
Estimated Completion Date: 30/06/2010
Status: Under Consideration

Google Map of islington station site.
http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/ima ... on/map.jpg

Whats happening to the TNT site, and what is being built near the Spotless linen service building.

Im quite interested in this development. Ive heard its going to be a med-high density student housing development. Anyone know? Finally we are starting to put housing around train stations on the Gawler line. When I went past the other day, the site looks all cleaned up from the prev rail yards that it was and ready for something to happen