Huge Burnside Village expansion back on track after retail trade recovery

An “extraordinary” recovery in retail trade at Burnside Village has inspired its owner to reboot plans for a major expansion, but it could change completely.

Plans for a major expansion of Burnside Village are back on track a year after the project ground to a halt in the wake of COVID-19.

An “extraordinary” recovery in retail trade at the centre has inspired owner, Cohen Group, to revive its 10-year redevelopment vision, in a bid to attract more national and international brands to Adelaide.

Cohen Group interim chief executive Andrew Cohen said there could be some changes to the original design and scale of the project, with the proposed luxury cinema also up for further consideration.

If a new development approval is required, it is hoped that would be secured before the end of the year, with construction to begin as early as January next year.

Artist’s impression of the original expansion plans for Burnside Village.

“The extraordinary retail recovery from COVID has given us a lot of confidence to remobilise our development team, restart the process, work on some refined changes and prepare to get started again,” he said.

“The number of food outlets and restaurants are being closely looked at – it’s about getting the right blend of fashion, food and services.

“We’re not making any announcements on retailer names, other than to say there’s good demand from signature brands, designer fashion as well as expansion of existing retailers.

“Whether or not the cinema makes the final edit we don’t know yet – everything’s on the table.”

Cohen Group’s 10-year, two-stage masterplan for the expansion of Burnside Village was approved by the State Commission Assessment Panel in April 2019.

The first stage, north of the existing centre, was planned to be three storeys high, and include an alfresco dining precinct with up to 12 restaurants, a “luxury cinema”, around 90 specialty stores over two levels and approximately 600 underground spaces, linked to the existing basement car park.

Artist’s impression of the original plan to expand Burnside Village.

It was put on hold in April last year following demolition and clearing of the site on the corner of Greenhill and Portrush roads.

Mr Cohen said earlier reports of the 10-year project being a $360m development were inaccurate, but declined to provide estimates of cost or end value.

He said any changes to the original plans would likely be a “refinement” rather than “wholesale changes”.

“We’ll certainly see an expansion of some of the existing stores – for example Zara remains one of the top trading Zaras in the country, we’re about to open Hugo Boss in mid-June and we are making a provision for Tommy Hilfiger to doubled in size,” he said.

“We are certainly engaging with a lot of national and some international brands, but the vagueries of COVID are still being felt and sorted out.”

A second stage of the 10-year masterplan would extend the centre to the south and would potentially include new specialty stores, a supermarket, fresh food precinct and 350 car parks.