Trinity Church site set for $350m student tower

Adelaide’s largest student accommodation facility would tower above the state’s oldest church as a part of a new $350m vision for a historic CBD site.

Artist's impressions of $350m student accommodation tower at Trinity Church site at 88 North Tce, Adelaide. Picture: Supplied by 1835 Property

Adelaide’s largest student accommodation facility, and one of the city’s tallest buildings, would tower above the state’s oldest church as a part of a new $350m vision for a historic CBD site.

Developers have gone back to the drawing board and unveiled new plans for the site, including a 33-storey student accommodation tower with more than 1000 beds to be built on a car park behind Trinity Church on North Tce.

The project would also feature a landscaped plaza and upgrades to heritage buildings used by the church, which was built in 1838, making it the first church built in South Australia and one of the oldest buildings in the city.

Local developers 1835 Property and Marlborough Capital were previously working on plans for a $450m 28-storey health and medical research hub and office tower.

But 1835 Property managing director Jason Di Iulio said they were now looking to capitalise on the merged Adelaide University and its target of attracting an additional 6000 international students by 2030.

Artist's impressions of $350m student accommodation tower at Trinity Church site at 88 North Tce, Adelaide. Picture: Supplied by 1835 Property

“Where young people choose to study is not just about tuition, but the experience of university life,” he said.

“Students want world class facilities coupled with a supportive environment, which is what this development is designed to achieve.

“88 North Terrace will be an Adelaide landmark with its uninterrupted 360-degree views. The expansion of Adelaide’s biomedical precinct, together with the merger of The University of Adelaide and University of South Australia, make this development a huge opportunity for the city.”

The project has been lodged with the State Commission Assessment Panel for planning approval, with construction expected to commence in the middle of next year and completion in 2027, ready for the 2028 academic year.

With more than 1000 beds, the facility would trump the Y Suites Waymouth Street complex – which has 813 beds – as the city’s largest student accommodation tower, and is also larger than the proposed development at the Crown & Anchor hotel site.

Mr Di Iulio said exemptions from the federal government’s cap on international students for South Australian universities would drive new student accommodation developments in the city, with property firm JLL recently warning Adelaide faces a shortfall of up to 2000 beds over the next five years.

The North Tce project has the blessing of the Trinity Network of Churches – an evangelical Anglican network with 14 campuses across the state.

“We see this partnership to develop our site as a wonderful opportunity to enhance our ministry to the people of the city of Adelaide as well as international and local students,” senior pastor Paul Harrington said.

“This development will place us at the heart of a vibrant university 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”.

SA premier Peter Malinauskas said investment in student accommodation facilities would support the predicted growth of the state’s university sector.

“Investment in quality student accommodation means we can continue to seek more international students without worrying about potential student caps or having unintentional impacts on the housing market,” he said.

“We want to grow our universities so that we are educating more young people and we are building more connections with future leaders across our region, and to do that we need to provide high quality accommodation for students.”

The project is expected to create 450 full-time jobs during construction.