Caroma factory sale close after rezoning while those who missed out disappointed
PROPONENTS of an $80 million redevelopment of Norwood’s Caroma factory to create a six-storey housing and shopping complex are set to buy the property from the State Government.
- Developers reveal $225 million in plans for sites up for rezoning
- State Government scraps plan to allow high-rise at three sites
- Caroma will close the doors of its Adelaide factory after 76 years
PROPONENTS of an $80 million redevelopment of Norwood’s Caroma factory to create a six-storey housing and shopping complex are set to buy the property from the State Government.
Supermarket Aldi and developers Buildtec and Catcorp have entered into exclusive negotiations to buy the site from Renewal SA to turn it into a “vibrant hub” of apartments and retail and commercial spaces.
In December, Planning Minister John Rau approved taller building height limits at the Magill Rd site and seven other properties around Adelaide, paving the way for almost $200 million in development.
Catcorp owner Anthony Catinari said the Caroma property had now been “secured” and he and the other partners were looking to lodge a planning application with the State Commission Assessment Panel.
“We’ve got a commitment from the government on what we originally proposed on the site so it’s not going to divert considerably from what we said,” Mr Catinari said.
Mr Rau decided against rezoning another site Mr Catinari wanted to redevelop at 301-305 Unley Rd, Malvern.
Residents lodged more than 200 submissions objecting to a rezoning of that block, where Catcorp was planning a $40 million apartment and office complex.
Mr Catinari said it was “a bit early” to say what he now planned to do with that site, which he bought for $3.4 million in 2015.
Meanwhile, the owners of the Hackney Hotel now have a clear path to proceed with long-awaited plans for apartments and townhouses around the historic pub after that site was also given the green light for multi-storey development.
V-Three Hackney director Ruan Perera said the consortium would lodge new plans next month.
They were likely to include more serviced apartments than the 41 in a plan rejected by Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council in 2016, he said.
During consultation on the spot rezoning, owners of other sites unsuccessfully sought to have them included.
Among them were the owners of the former Schweppes plant on Payneham Rd, who wanted to turn it into a $30 million homemaker centre, and Harmony Forestville, which wanted to knock down the bakery it owns on Leader St for townhouses.
Harmony investment manager Carol Simons said the company was disappointed with the outcome, particularly given building heights on the neighbouring Le Cornu site had been increased.
Its property had been included when the rezoning was originally announced in 2015.
“We are confident the local community would welcome redevelopment to something more aesthetically appealing,” Ms Simons said.
“We understand the (State) Planning Commission had a difficult task, however, we are left somewhat puzzled by the outcome.”
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