Construction on a multi-tower project has commenced in North Adelaide on a site left vacant for 33 years following several failed attempts at its development.
Known locally as the Le Cornu site, after a furniture retailer of that name sold the property in 1989, The City of Adelaide stepped in and purchased the site for development in 2017 from Con Makris for $34 million. The Makris Group abandoned a $200 million mixed use redevelopment after it was approved.
The City of Adelaide chose Commercial & General to develop the project north of the Adelaide Oval and the main CBD area. To be known as Eighty-Eight O’Connell, the site will be a three-tower residential and retail complex on O’Connell Street, which will be built over three years.
The project, designed by architects Woods Bagot, comprises around 160 apartments and four penthouses across two 13 storey towers and one 15 storey tower. These towers will rest on top of an articulated multifunction podium structure.
The North Adelaide development, when finished, will include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, exercise and health facilities, retail and commercial space, a large outdoor terrace public space, and almost 400 car parking spaces below ground.
Woods Bagot said the towers were designed and orientated to capture views of the city, hills and coast. It is anticipated the 7500 sqm mixed use development will be open in the first half of 2025.
IMAGE: Video still of Eighty-Eight O’Connell. Source: Commercial & General.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia and at the helm of our magazine for 8 years. She was behind the Institute's weekly news bulletins from 2016-2021 and is now writing our focused news items. Desi has been an engineering news and features journalist/editor across all disciplines since 2013 - part of a 30-year career writing for a wide range of industries.