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Crows to pitch North Adelaide HQ vision to council

The Adelaide Football Club will present its vision to build a new multi-million dollar headquarters in the park lands to Adelaide City councillors on Monday night, as plans to develop the old Le Cornu site also ramp up.

Aug 30, 2019, updated Aug 30, 2019
The Adelaide Football Club is progressing with its plan to build a new sporting facility in the same park as the ageing Adelaide Aquatic Centre. Photo: InDaily

The Adelaide Football Club is progressing with its plan to build a new sporting facility in the same park as the ageing Adelaide Aquatic Centre. Photo: InDaily

InDaily understands the confidential briefing between the Crows and city council will precede a special committee meeting on Tuesday, during which councillors will discuss a report – expected to be made public this afternoon – detailing the clubs’ development timeframes and vision for their proposed new sporting facility at Park 2.

Talks have slated the city council-owned Adelaide Aquatic Centre – which has long-required costly renovations – as the preferred site for the new sporting facility.

However, no firm decision has been made public as to where on Park 2 the Crows or council would prefer the facility to be built.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor revealed earlier this month that the council had engaged an independent consultant to undertake a “needs analysis” of the Adelaide Aquatic Centre to determine the “scale and key features that should be prioritised to best meet the current and future needs of the community”.

She said the analysis, to be finalised by December, would include a review of the visitation levels and “identify the social value of aquatic facilities to the local and broader community”.

The Adelaide City Council confirmed in April that it had received an unsolicited bid from the club and had progressed to the second stage of the proposal.

According to the council, that would involve “detailed consideration of the feasibility of the proposal, how it will be delivered, and whether it represents value for money”.

More recently, Adelaide Football Club Chairman Rob Chapman told The Advertiser that building a new headquarters in the park lands would help North Adelaide businesses “capitalise on game-day opportunities, as well as weekdays, by virtue of people coming to our football club for the experience”.

A spokesperson from the Adelaide Football Club confirmed to InDaily this morning that it would give a confidential presentation to councillors about the proposal on Monday night.

The spokesperson did not reveal what information would be discussed.

The 88 O’Connell Street site.

September is shaping up to be a big month for the council, with development plans for major projects including the long-vacant old Le Cornu site at 88 O’Connell Street and the Central Market Arcade also set to progress.

Sources told InDaily the development submissions for 88 O’Connell Street that are in contention– understood to come from Starfish Developments and Commercial and General – both exceed the preferred height limit set by the council in its “guiding principles” for the project.

The council asked developers to consider a “mid-rise development with a variety of buildings of up to nominally eight stories… with an high-rise elements set back at least 12 metres from the street frontages” in their submissions.

But one source said the final designs showed buildings reaching as high as 16-storeys.

Councillors will attend a confidential briefing on Monday night – ahead of the Crows’ presentation – to hear developers present their vision for 88 O’Connell Street.

Councillors will then discuss the final submissions behind closed doors on Tuesday.

According to the council’s expected timeline for the project, a developer will be selected by December, with construction slated to start by 2022, subject to the approval process.

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Verschoor announced on Monday that a range of community activities – including yoga, craft workshops and golf – would occur at 88 O’Connell Street throughout September.

The council will also open a free four-hour-limit car park on the site.

“This is not a permanent car park. In keeping with the current development approval, car park use will be ancillary to Council’s program of ongoing activations,” Verschoor said.

“Meanwhile, we remain committed to developing the site in a timely manner, with Council soon considering submissions received from a global Expression of Interest process for a development partner.”

Area councillor Anne Moran told InDaily she would move a motion calling on the council’s administration to allow traders along O’Connell Street to park at the site beyond the four-hour time limit.

“Basically traders can’t use it because they have to move their cars out of it after four hours,” she said.

“There is ample parking for customers, but the traders can’t park in the existing spots because they’re all half an hour to an hour.”

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