Plans for $110m redevelopment of Norwood Mall include expanded Coles supermarket, offices and a ‘floating village’ of townhouses

A local developer plans to breathe new life into long-delayed plans to transform the heart of The Parade with a $110 million vision to redevelop Norwood Mall — including a “floating village” housing dozens of luxury multistorey townhouses.

The area encompassing Norwood Mall which will be redeveloped under plans from Australasian Property Developments.

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A local developer plans to breathe new life into long-delayed plans to transform the heart of The Parade with a $110 million vision to redevelop Norwood Mall.

After purchasing the site from supermarket giant Coles, Australasian Property Developments (APD) is putting the finishing touches to its development plans, anchored by an expanded Coles supermarket and new retail stores.

Two levels of offices and car parking will be built above the retail space, while close to 50 two-storey townhouses will create a “floating village” on the upper levels.

Australasian Property Developments managing director Pep Rocca.

APD managing director Pep Rocca said the project would deliver an “enhanced shopping precinct” for the local community.

“The development will include a new state-of-the-art Coles supermarket, new retail outlets, residential space and improved car parking if approved,” he said.

“We’re trying to complement the other shops in the area and I think this will centralise the heart of Norwood and bring it back to where it was 10 or 15 years ago.

“We’re trying to make the townhouses very spacious and liveable, targeting owner-occupiers — retirees, young families, professionals.

“You’re going to see a lot more of this type of development in desirable areas because people want to be close to amenities.”

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APD will lodge its plans for development approval and release detailed artist’s impressions in the second quarter of this year.

In addition to the upper level townhouses, seven three-storey residences will be built on George St, while two homes will be built on Edward St.

A total of 150 additional car parks will be delivered as part of the project.

Norwood Mall’s trade has languished in recent years and several traders have shut up shop. Picture: Matt Loxton

Coles first discussed an upgrade of the mall in 2011, in a bid to compete with the booming popularity of its Foodland rival on the other side of The Parade.

After lodging plans for a $50 million overhaul in 2013, the supermarket giant gained development approval in 2014 after negotiating a series of community objections, including a campaign to save a 127-year old cork tree on the site.

The tree and a large river red gum will be retained as part of APD’s plans.

Coles released this artist’s impression of its proposed development of Norwood Mall in 2013, but the project never proceeded. The new proposal from Australasian Property Developments will be substantially different and include shops, offices, new car parks and townhouses.

“The car park on Edward St will be enhanced, while retaining the cork tree and large river red gum in their existing locations,” Mr Rocca said.

“What we’ve been doing is accommodating all the objections from the past five or six years, like the cork tree and the access to height.

“And there are also infrastructure challenges — there’s a creek that runs underneath the Edward St car park, but we’ve accommodated everything we know about and we’ve done the feasibility.”

Construction at Norwood Mall is expected to commence in 12 to 18 months and take approximately two years to complete.

APD has completed a number of major property redevelopments across Adelaide in recent years, and is currently investing in a multimillion upgrade of the Citi Centre building in Rundle Mall, which will welcome a new Romeo’s Foodland in April.