What to do with the Le Cornu site, part 2: Chasecrown director Louis Kanellos’s vision for North Adelaide eyesore

WHAT if the old Le Cornu site was transformed into apartments blanketed in green, with a boutique hotel, restaurants and a rooftop farm? We asked three planning experts to share their vision. Check out part two of our three-part series.

Chasecrown's vision for 88 O'Connell St.

• Part One: Urban designer David Cooke’s vision for old Le Cornu
• Con Makris reveals he sold site to city council for $34m
• The Le Cornu site: What you said should be done
• $200m Le Cornu development plan dumped

HIGH-RISE housing has long been earmarked for North Adelaide’s Le Cornu site, a prime slab of real estate a short walk from the CBD.

Apartments and townhouses have been central to almost every vision to redevelop the old furniture warehouse, including property tycoon Con Makris’ final $200 million proposal.

Alas, that plan — like every one before it — never went ahead.

But what if the high-rise apartments were blanketed in green and bordered with a boutique hotel, restaurants and a rooftop farm?

Could that be the solution that makes the shovel (finally) hit the soil on our most famous vacant space?

In Part 2 of The Advertiser.com.au’s three-part series on bright ideas for 88 O’Connell St, developer Chasecrown reveal their vision to redevelop the site with a mix of housing, shops and offices.

Led by director Louis Kanellos, the firm — whose Archer St offices neighbour the 7353sq m Le Cornu site — is behind numerous housing developments in Adelaide, including a 12-storey apartment tower in Glenelg.

PART 2: THE DEVELOPER

Chasecrown director Louis Kanellos

Chasecrown's vision for 88 O'Connell St.

“Central to unifying O’Connell St, the development of 88 O’Connell St will have a profound impact on the greater North Adelaide precinct.

Chasecrown’s proposal blends high-quality residential and world-class retail and dining options with a creative business precinct, boutique hotel and innovative green public and private spaces.

The ideal self-sufficient neighbourhood block, 88 O’Connell St incorporates European-style laneways and a central piazza space to integrate the new site uses and embrace North Adelaide’s existing village feel and walkability.

Activated retail frontages, appealing laneways, pedestrian-scale building heights, green terraces and rooftop gardens are used to re-urbanise the site while enhancing the character and charm of the precinct.

Chasecrown's vision for 88 O'Connell St.

North Adelaide is perfectly positioned to attract new creative businesses and capitalise on initiatives such as Adelaide City Council’s Ten Gigabit network.

Leveraging on North Adelaide’s existing business environment, a ‘Creative Precinct’ scattered throughout the site will attract small to medium-sized business sharing laneway frontages with shops and residential entries.

The site will be a model business environment that incorporates work and lifestyle amenities including shared facilities, gymnasiums, supermarkets and outdoor spaces.

Focused on wellbeing, Chasecrown’s design employs well-considered green spaces and planting to increase biodiversity, improve air quality, enhance thermal performance and provide amenity space for community interaction as well as private sanctuaries.

At the corner of Archer St and O’Connell St, a retail complex with a rooftop urban farm space for on-site food production creates opportunities for experience-based shopping and dining.

This type of unique retail proposition will open the door to new franchises that will be a major drawcard for North Adelaide.”

PART ONE: THE URBAN DESIGNER