The State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) will next week assess plans lodged by Melbourne property developer Tim Gurner’s company, Gurner Group, to redevelop the former Australia Post site at 237 Grote Street.

Located around 150-metres off West Terrace and opposite St Patrick’s Church, the 11,150 square metre site is an L-shaped allotment with frontages to Grote, Gouger and Blenheim Street. It is currently an outdoor car park with some shops in its northeastern corner.

An aerial view of the allotment (in blue). Image: SA Planning and Property Atlas/PlanSA

Gurner announced in June 2022 his intention to transform the site into a $1.25 billion precinct in conjunction with landowner, Kennards Self Storage.

Detailed designs were published for the first time in the SCAP’s agenda papers this week.

The plan features five towers, the tallest being a 28-storey, 95-metre apartment building on the corner of Grote and Blenheim Street.

The 28-storey “Hero Building” on the corner of Grote and Blenheim Street. Image: Elenberg Fraser and Gurner Pty Ltd supplied

The “Hero Building” (Tower 3) is planned to hold 206 apartments. Ground floor shops and a café, restaurant and bar are also planned along with retail and food and beverage shops on level one.

Two 20-storey apartment buildings – one fronting Grote Street and the other Blenheim Street – are planned to go on either side of the Hero Building.

Both these towers will be 66.3 metres tall and hold 136 apartments each.

Office space is planned for the ground, first and third floor of the Blenheim Street tower (Tower 4), while a “St Haven Wellness Facility” and “Pool Club” – featuring health, fitness and personal services along with a swimming pool, spa, pool bar and function rooms – are slated for the Grote Street tower (Tower 2).

A map of Towers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Image: Gurner Pty Ltd/PlanSA

A 220-room, 16-storey hotel on Grote Street (Tower 1) is planned at the western end of the development.

The hotel will feature a ground-level restaurant and bar and a first level function venue.

The 16-storey, 220-room hotel planned for the western side of the development. Image: Gurner Group

The final stage of the development is a 15-storey apartment building facing Gouger Street (Tower 5), which is planned to hold 122 apartments and a ground floor café.

All up, there are 600 new homes planned for the development, comprised of 246 one-bedroom apartments, 302 two-bedroom and 52 three-bedroom.

Ninety of the new dwellings will be allocated to affordable housing, representing the 15 per cent affordable housing requirement required by the planning code.

The 15-storey apartment building (Tower 5) on the corner of Gouger and Blenheim Street. Image: Elenberg Fraser and Gurner Pty Ltd supplied

New retail space in the development will total 3242 square metres, along with 2401 square metres of commercial space and 3157 square metres of recreation space.

Government planning officer Mollie O’Connor recommended the SCAP grant the project planning consent.

“The proposal will facilitate a mixed-use development that will support residential and tourism generating opportunities for population and employment growth in Adelaide City,” O’Connor wrote.

“The development is considered to achieve the desired outcomes of the Capital City Zone and remaining provisions of the Planning and Design Code.

The new development is planned to hold 2401 square metres of retail space. Image: Elenberg Fraser and Gurner Pty Ltd supplied

“It is recommended that Planning Consent be granted by the SCAP.”

Three of the five towers exceed the zone’s maximum building height of 53 metres, but because the development proposes 15 per cent affordable housing, the zoning increases 30 per cent to 69-metres.

While the 95.4-metre-tall Hero Building still exceeds this, both O’Connor and Government Architect Kirsteen Mackay considered it acceptable.

A view of the development from Gray Street, looking south. Image: Elenberg Fraser and Gurner Pty Ltd supplied

“The additional building height facilitates high intensity and large-scale development that will support population and employment growth opportunities in Adelaide City, achieving the desired outcomes of the CC (Capital City) Zone,” O’Connor said.

“On balance, the building height of Tower 3 is considered to respond positively to the local context whilst achieving the desired outcomes of the zone for high intensity development.”

The development is also proposing 3353 square metres of publicly accessible space via internal laneways and a plaza located behind the main tower.

The plaza will feature a cenote, adjacent to a nearby pool deck.

The cenote plaza space. Image: Elenberg Fraser and Gurner Pty Ltd supplied

The location of the cenote plaza. Image: Elenberg Fraser and Gurner Pty Ltd supplied

Gurner Group has asked for planning consent to stretch over 10 years so it can take a staged approach to the project.

The development was not publicly notified as it is not adjacent to residential land.

The SCAP is scheduled to assess the project on November 8.