Brewery, shops and apartments planned for old boilerhouse as part of Tonsley housing development

APARTMENT buildings spanning four or five storeys, a supermarket, specialty shops and microbrewery will be among key features of a housing development planned for the old Tonsley Mitsubishi site on South Rd.

The former boilerhouse - the site of the proposed new development.

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APARTMENT buildings spanning four or five storeys, a supermarket, specialty shops and microbrewery will be among key features of a housing development planned for the old Tonsley Mitsubishi site on South Rd.

Land developer Peet Limited has told Marion elected members it will begin selling homes off the plans at the 11ha development site next month, after receiving planning approval for the project.

Company representatives presented their plans to councillors at an informal meeting on Tuesday, December 5, saying they also envisaged student accommodation and a microbrewery in the South Rd site’s 800sq m former boilerhouse.

Peet chief executive Brendan Gore said the company would open a sales centre on January 14, and civil construction would start late next month.

“Homes will be close to offices, retail, transport, education and recreational opportunities and careful attention has been paid to how the residential precinct integrates with the existing neighbourhood overall,” Mr Gore said.

Expressions of interest from potential microbrewery operators closed yesterday.

Cr Ian Crossland said plans showed properties in the 850-home development would carry industrial designs to fit in with the area’s local character. The developers had likened the project to the Lightsview development in Northgate.

“They have state planning approval and a clean bill of health from the EPA,” he said.

Cr Crossland said councillors had been told the first homes to be built would be townhouses. Apartments, including student accommodation, would be built later in blocks about four or five storeys high.

Plans on Renewal SA’s website show buildings in the precinct will be between two and seven storeys high, but Cr Raelene Telfer said councillors hoped they wouldn’t stretch higher than four.

She was concerned taller buildings would not fit in with neighbouring areas, create overshadowing problems and upset existing residents.

Cr Telfer said the plans included a swathe of open space between the new homes, allowing the council to build a nature play area for families.

“We’ll be able to build different installations onto it to build a linear playground, which will be very attractive,” she said.

The council and developers needed to work together to ensure there was adequate parking around the area’s open space, she said.

Apartments in the development will be priced from less than $200,000 to the “mid-$300,000s” for apartments and between “the mid-$300,000s to low $500,000s” for terrace homes.

The project is expected to house 1200 people and take about seven years to complete.

It follows a $253 million State Government investment commitment to redevelop the automotive manufacturing site formerly used by Chrysler and Mitsubishi.

The vision to transform the whole area will be complete in 2027.