Hotel, cafes and apartments part of Flinders University’s $2 billion urban village plan
A HOTEL, shops, cafes and accommodation for an additional 1500 students in buildings up to six storeys high are among the features of a $2 billion urban village plan for Flinders University.
A HOTEL, shops, cafes and accommodation for an additional 1500 students in buildings up to six storeys high.
These are among the features of Flinders University’s plans for a $2 billion “urban village” at its Bedford Park campus.
Buildings and property director David Banks said the university hoped to release designs for the first part of the development by the end of the year, and start work by early 2019.
It already has 561 beds on campus for international students and would need up to another 1500 to cater for its expected enrolment growth.
Mr Banks said the urban village would take inspiration from Chatswood in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, which features a rail link to shops, apartments and medical centres.
The development’s catalyst is the $85 million Flinders Link rail project, which will extend the Tonsley rail line to the university’s sports fields on Sturt Rd.
Design work for that project is expected to begin soon.
Mr Banks said the university was keen to work with the State Government to build shops, cafes and accommodation directly alongside the new station.
“You’d step off the train station and into a mall, and then move through a piazza where people meet,” Mr Banks said.
“We know there’s demand for a florist, cafes, a pharmacy and newsagent. It’s the sort of stuff that supports the people who live there.”
The whole project, which would rely heavily on private investment, would cost close to $2 billion and take about 20 years to build.
Mr Banks said the first stage, over 5-10 years, would cost $500 million-$600 million.
Although emphasising the plans were in their very early stages, he said that could include some student accommodation, a hotel, about 10-12 shops and medical consulting rooms.
More accommodation, shops and other services would be added later, he said.
During university holidays, student accommodation could double as a place for people receiving treatment, and their families, to stay.
Other features included better walking and driving links around the campus – potentially including routes for autonomous cars – and lecture theatres which doubled as cinemas.
Mr Banks said the project would link Tonsley Innovation Precinct with Flinders’ main campus and the two hospitals at Bedford Park.
“This is about leveraging Tonsley into a large innovation precinct,” he said.
“Globally, we’re not relevant as Tonsley or Flinders, but if we got it all together, it becomes a critical mass.”
The university has met with the State Government, Marion and Mitcham councils about its vision, but is yet to approach developers to invest in the project.
It also wants to develop a new $150 million building at Tonsley, focusing on business and innovation, because its existing centre there has already reached capacity.
The Flinders Link project includes a 650m extension of the Tonsley line with a pedestrian and cycle path alongside it.
It is expected to open by the start of the 2019 university year.