A new landmark in the heart of North Adelaide will be the catalyst required to assist in the revitalisation of the O’Connell Street precinct.
The City of Adelaide purchased the former Le Cornu site at 88 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide in 2018 and has selected Commercial & General to transform this landmark site.
Project updates
With financial close having been reached, building work underway and Commercial & General’s consent, the Land Facilitation Agreement for the project is now available at www.cityofadelaide.com.au/freedom-of-information/
Commercial & General have selected Tandem Building Group as the builder of this significant project.
Initial activities such as site fencing, removal of existing buildings and infrastructure and the establishment of temporary facilities for workers will be underway for the start of construction. Major piling works from ground level will follow, with deep excavation works to create the basement levels.
Tandem will work with the community to manage the impacts of construction, likely to commence shortly.
Project information
The design for Eighty Eight O’Connell will enhance the vibrancy of one of the city’s premier streets, bringing new residents and businesses to the area while supporting existing businesses.
Built across three towers, the development will offer:
- Below ground – 394 car parking bays for resident, commercial and public use.
- Ground level – an active retail strip with café and restaurant tenancies and open spaces for the community.
- Level one and two – commercial suites, bringing workers into O’Connell Street and providing services such as medical consulting to residents of the building and broader community. Amenities for residents such as indoor/outdoor swimming pools, gym, spa, sauna and squash court. A large outdoor terrace accessible to the public and can be used to host community events.
- Level three and beyond – approximately 160 apartments
View the project timeline to date here.
Construction impacts and disruptions
As part of the development planning, Tandem Building Group will work with the community to manage the impacts of construction. For more information on the construction approach and phases, contact Tandem.
Frequently asked questions
Council purchased the land to accelerate a development outcome which would contribute to the revitalisation of North Adelaide.
Council is not a developer and cannot take on the risk associated with a development of this scale. It therefore needed an approach to minimise its commercial risk whilst ensuring a fiscally responsible outcome.
In September 2018, the City of Adelaide initiated an Expression of Interest process. The purpose of this process was to invite developers to submit a proposal to Council to undertake the redevelopment of the site.
The commercial negotiations have sought to balance the expectations of the community, with the commercial imperatives required to ensure the development can be delivered.
The commercial negotiations will ensure that Council maintains a level of control to avoid the site being held by a private developer for an extended period, but with limited involvement in the development as it progresses.
The commercial arrangement requires Commercial & General to develop the site in accordance with the endorsed design concept. The design concept incorporates a portion of open space on the corner of O’Connell Street and Tynte Street.
This area of open space in the form of a plaza will be retained by Council in line with our ambition to support the delivery of civic infrastructure to foster community connections.
Tandem Building Group has engaged expert consultants to develop a Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan.
Under the plan, sensors will be set up on site which will measure noise and vibration, notifying the construction team if and when works approach Australian standard limits. Dust will be managed through the use of water carts to clean roads and water suppression methods in line with best practice.
The nature of construction works can be noisy and disruptive, and measure have been put in place to minimise the disruption as much as possible.
Hours of work will be Monday to Saturday 7am to 7pm in line with the City of Adelaide City Works guidelines.
The builder –Tandem Building Group – has lodged a comprehensive traffic management plan with the City of Adelaide.
Under the plan, different management tactics will be employed at different stages of construction, all of which will be clearly signed to vehicles and communicated to impacted residents.
Throughout construction, speed limits on Archer Street and Tynte Street will be slightly reduced from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.
In accordance with the City Works permit, large trucks will only be able to access the site via Tynte or Archer Street from O’Connell Street, that is, they will not be able to travel along Lefevre Terrace or any residential street displaying a No Truck sign.
Businesses will not have access blocked or impacted by construction.
The busy worksite will mean an increase of people in the area, many of whom will be looking to patronise local businesses.
There will be minimal changes to street parking, with only those spots immediately against the worksite impacted.
There will be between 20 and 350 workers on site, depending on the phase of construction.
It is estimated that the construction process will support 430 jobs in total with up to 500 ongoing roles created once the project is complete.
Community Consultation
Council has undertaken extensive community consultation and stakeholder engagement in the lead up to a developer undertaking the redevelopment of the site.
For more information visit YourSay Adelaide.
Need more information?
If you have any questions about the development and construction next steps, contact Commercial & General via the project website.