Multi-million dollar idea to transform this long vacant block in Adelaide’s inner north
IT’S been vacant for the past decade but a developer has now lodged multi-million dollar plans for this block that sits on a retail strip just north of the city. Here’s what he wants to build.
PLANS for a new multi-million dollar apartment complex on Melbourne St have been submitted to State Government’s planning commission.
The development proposal includes a ground floor cafe, four residential apartments, eight serviced apartments and three levels of underground parking with 21 spaces.
If approved it will be just the fourth apartment complex along the once bustling strip that has struggled in recent years.
The applicant, Frank Azzollini, submitted the plans for the $6m development, which do not list a building height, to the commission last month.
Mr Azzollini has not been able to be reached for comment.
A property search revealed the land at 149 Melbourne St, North Adelaide was purchased in 2010 for $935,000 and but has been vacant for the past decade.
The City North Messenger last month reported the once popular shopping strip was in decline, with nine out of 95 shops vacant.
High rents and online stores are being blamed for a swath of empty shops along the once-bustling Melbourne St, traders and city councillors say.
At the time of the report, Di Gianni hair, which is on Melbourne St, owner Tony Primaro told the City North Messenger other business on the strip were worried about the vacant shops.
“Less shops means there is less people walking around,” Mr Primaro said. “You need that foot traffic to attract new people to the street.
“People want to go shopping were there is a variety of shops, not just a few of the same.”
Mr Primaro said the main issues were high rent and limited parking.
“At the end of the day it comes down to rent being too high,” he said.
“From a council perspective, you need to fix parking to allow more people in the area. The internet has also killed a lot of the smaller businesses.”
Gerald Matthews, whose family architecture firm has been based in Melbourne St for the past 40 years, said shopfronts were in transition.
“Melbourne St has gone through plenty of cycles over my career,” Mr Matthews said.
“It’s become restaurants and cafes after it there was once a lot service-based stores like music recording studios.
Every time there is a transition there is a lull in between. I think what we’re seeing now is a transitioning from one thing to another. We just don’t know what the new thing is yet.”