Trinity Church centre of $200m development in Adelaide CBD
Adelaide’s oldest church site is set to undergo a $200m transformation, including plans for a 15-storey health, medical and research facility aimed at tapping into the city’s burgeoning biomedical precinct.
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A 15-storey health, medical and research facility will rise above the state’s oldest church as part of a $200m plan to transform a prominent city site.
The redevelopment of the Trinity Church site, on the corner of North Terrace and Morphett Street in the city, will include a new landscaped plaza as well as upgrades to three heritage buildings on the site.
Known as “Trinity City”, the precinct will include a new tower to be built on a 2400sq m slice of land at the rear of the church.
Designed for specialist medical and research activities, it will comprise more than 30,000sq m of space and include 280 car parks. A childcare centre is also planned for the site.
Trinity Network of Churches senior pastor Paul Harrington said new facilities would be developed for the church’s use, while heritage components of the site would be refurbished.
“We see this partnership to develop our site as a wonderful opportunity to enhance our ministry to the people of the city of Adelaide,” he said.
“This development will place us at the heart of a growing precinct as well as provide an opportunity to redeploy some of our resources into the growing network of churches we have across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.”
1835 Capital managing director Jason Di Iulio, who’s leading the project, said early design work was completed, with a submission for planning approval expected later this year.
A marketing campaign to secure tenants for the office building will commence shortly, he said, with construction expected to start in 2022 ahead of completion in 2024.
“Trinity City will house near on 3000 staff and will be a catalyst site, providing significant impetus for the development and upgrade of the surrounding precinct,” he said.
“We’ve started the market sounding process and the initial response has been very strong from medical researchers, corporate medical offices and education as well.
“We know there are some significant tenant requirements, both government and non-government in the health space, and there’s no commercial office space of scale in the biomed precinct.”
Mr Di Iulio said the main church building, which attracts a congregation of more than 1200 people, would undergo a heritage refurbishment, while a new administration building would be built between the rectory building and a third heritage building on the south-eastern corner of the site.
A “glass box” would also add meeting rooms and other space to the rectory building, opening up to a “European design” plaza.
Built in 1838, Holy Trinity Church was the first church built in South Australia and is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
The site for the church was chosen by Colonel William Light, who had a vision for the church to be located in the centre of Adelaide.
The Trinity Network of Churches is an evangelical Anglican group with 10 churches across Adelaide and regional South Australia.
Last week the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide - a group not affiliated to the Trinity network - unveiled plans for a $100m makeover of St Peter’s Cathedral, including a building restoration, underground visitor centre and public plaza.