Developers are being sought to transform Morphettville racecourse in a $500m mixed use plan

Developers are being asked to throw their hat in the ring to bring a $500m redevelopment of the Morphettville Racecourse to life.

The SA Jockey Club's planned Morphettville development. Picture: Supplied,

The South Australian Jockey Club has kicked off the process to find a development partner for its $500m transformation of the Morphettville Racecourse site.

The two-stage project would involve developing up to 10ha of land between the racetrack and Anzac Highway, with a hotel and 150 apartments envisaged for the site.

The redevelopment would also include a “grand civic entrance” to the racecourse and the transformation of the heritage grandstand into a cafe and community hub.

The project overcame a major zoning hurdle earlier this year when Planning and Local Government Minister Vickie Chapman revoked an open-space proclamation over the site that had been in place since 1958.

The development would be on both sides of the tram line which connects Glenelg to the city.

This followed the rezoning of the precinct in May last year as an “urban core” zone, allowing for a combination of major land use types, with housing limited to 60 per cent of the site.

Expressions of interest will now be sought from developers willing to partner on the project, with the money generated from its development to be reinvested by the SAJC into its Morphettville facility.

The higher-density first stage of the project is expected to involve the construction of 150 apartments “sitting atop a retail podium comprising a tavern, supermarket, speciality retail and hospitality with direct access to the tramline’’.

“A 136-room hotel is also planned for the Anzac Highway frontage,’’ the SAJC said.

“Stage two includes approximately 400 low-rise apartments, terraces and townhouses with the two stages linked by a new pedestrian plaza.’’

SAJC chief executive Grant Mayer said the club had received “encouraging feedback’’.

“It’s a large and attractive area on land in Adelaide’s western suburbs that offers great proximity to both the CBD and beaches, as well as having public transport links literally in its doorstep,’’ Mr Mayer said.

A view of the planned development from the north. Picture: Supplied,

Anzac Highway is now home to two major development projects, with Renewal SA calling for expressions of interest for the former Le Cornu site on Anzac Highway, closer to the CBD, earlier this year.

Local groups Starfish Developments and Catcorp have put proposals forward for that 3.6ha site.

The EOI process for the SAJC site will run until September 30, after which a shortlist of proponents will be asked to provide proposals to the SAJC from October.

The EOI documents will be available here from Tuesday morning.