Developer and landlord Quintessential today unveiled the new facilities following years of upgrades to transform the Port Adelaide Distribution Centre warehouses into state-of-the-art centres combining logistics and office functions.

Quintessential acquired the site on the southern side of the Port River Expressway fronting Perkins Drive in 2019. In 2022, they demolished the previous ‘Warehouse M’ – originally built in 1947 – to accommodate a new 5274-square-metre warehouse completed earlier this year.

The new Warehouse M has three facilities that combine offices with warehouses, while the larger ‘Warehouse O’ sits on 7340 square metres that were previously vacant land.

According to Quintessential – a property investment firm that also worked on the redevelopment of 100 King William Street, 30 Pirie Street and 431 King William Street – the upgrades of the PADC warehouses have driven strong tenant demand and high retention.

Quintessential said net rents have more than doubled from $55 per square metre to as much as $153 per square metre in the newly completed warehouses. In total, 200 people work at PADC for 17 tenants.

South Australian construction firm Woolcock Construction was appointed to deliver the warehouses, which included new sprinkler systems, auto roller shutters, canopy protection and modern office spaces.

Quintessential CEO Richard Lucas and Deputy Premier Susan Close tour the new Warehouse O at the PADC. Photo: David Simmons/InDaily.

Funk Coffee is also slated to open an on-site food and beverage offering at Warehouse M later this year.

Quintessential CEO Richard Lucas today told InDaily that the new warehouses would support a growing nearby residential population.

“The capacity to grow the residential side of things means you need more businesses and more distribution networks,” Lucas said.

“The more we can use these infield sites to create new facilities allows that growth to happen and supports the growing population.”

In total, Quintessential has invested about $400 million in South Australia across its projects. Lucas said the company was confident in the future of the state and was interested in future developments.

“The amount of government investment that’s going into specifically Port Adelaide, but also Adelaide more generally, gives us confidence that there’s going to be a baseline of activity that will support the developments we do, whether they be industrial or office work,” he said.

“Around that, we’ve seen a lot of residential work happening in the CBD as well. When you see that level of activity gaining momentum across all of those sectors it’s a bit of a no brainer for an investment case.”

The new Warehouse M replaces an older facility built in 1947. Photo: David Simmons/InDaily.

The CEO said he was excited to see the growth of Port Adelaide through defence spending in the industrial hub.

“We know that there’s a huge amount of supply chain that’s going to come with that and they’re going to need space,” he said.

“Whether that plays into the PADC or further opportunities in the area, we’re certainly open to those ideas because that level of activity is going to need space.”

Deputy Premier Susan Close, also the state member for Port Adelaide, said she was “delighted to inaugurate these two warehouses in the Port Adelaide electorate”.

“Port Adelaide Distribution Centre is a shining example of what a well-considered environmental plan can achieve,” she said.

“My thanks to Quintessential for their commitment.”