Yet another delay on former Le Cornu site at North Adelaide

THE former Le Cornu site will sit idle for at least another year after the Makris Group missed its deadline to start work on the latest proposal for Adelaide’s most notorious vacant block.

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THE Le Cornu site will sit idle for at least another year after the Makris Group missed its deadline to start work on the latest proposal for Adelaide’s most notorious vacant block.

But the developers say their $200 million residential, retail and hotel development will not suffer the fate of the string of failed proposals put up for the site over the past 25 years.

The Makris Group’s plans were approved two years ago but work was required to start by June 30.

When it missed the cut off, the State Government’s Development Assessment Commission granted a one-year extension.

A spokesman for the Makris Group said the delay would “allow its consulting team to further refine some design elements and to streamline construction programming”.

Work on the site must start before June 30 next year or the approval will lapse.

The Makris Group applied for the extension in March and it was granted in May.

While he is disappointed with the delay, Adelaide City Councillor Phillip Martin is “relieved to hear it is still going ahead”.

An artist impression of the proposed $200 million redevelopment of the old Le Cornu site on O’Connell St, North Adelaide. Picture: Makris Group

“But it will be another year before activity,” he said. “It’s a barren wasteland. In many respects, the failure to develop has hindered O’Connell St.”

Cr Martin said the delay in construction was causing a flow on effect in North Adelaide.

“From the council’s perspective, we are unwilling to spend on the street until the building commences,” he said.

“It could lead to upheaval of the street. We would not look at infrastructure work until after it is done. My plea to the Makris Group is to please get a bulldozer started.”

North Adelaide Society chair Ed Briedis “seriously doubted” the project would happen.

“It makes a mockery of the fast-tracking process the State Government has given the developer,” Mr Briedis said.

“The developer may have a good reason for the delay. But he’s not letting the rest of the world know what it is.”

Mr Briedis has “seen all the proposals” in his 25 years as chair of the society. “This one is certainly over the top.”

The Planning Department was asked why the extension was granted but did not respond.

The site has been vacant since 1989 and three development plans have since been put up only to fall over.

Con Makris bought the site in 2001 from Wallis Cinemas for an estimated $7 million.