Grandest of homes to rise from rubble
THE homestead of controversial winemaker Andrew Garrett has been razed, to be replaced by what will be one of Adelaide's most expensive homes.
THE homestead of controversial winemaker Andrew Garrett has been razed, to be replaced by what will be one of Adelaide's most expensive homes.
Springwood Park, just off Mount Barker Rd in the Adelaide Hills, has been knocked over to make way for a massive two story house which experts estimate could be worth more than $10 million.
The house's ground floor will be larger than the average Adelaide block size, measuring in at 723sq/m, with an outside decking and paved area covering a further 550sq/m.
The first floor will be 480 sq/m plus balcony and rooftop garden areas covering a further 100sq/m.
The plans for the house, which were approved by the Development Assessment Commission, reveal plans for a lift, a four car garage, a recital area and bar, five bedrooms, all with ensuites, and a solar panel array.
Outside areas will feature a petanque court, swimming pool, tennis court, a reflection pool, sauna pavilion, and a 67 sq/m gym.
The house will also have a 52sq/m wine cellar.
The house is being built by State Economic Development Board member Raymond Spencer, who made his fortune when he sold his stake in Chicago-based consulting firm Kanbay in 2006.
Mr Spencer would not say how much the house would cost to build, but said it was expected to be finished in about a year's time.
The house, which was designed by Adelaide architects Walter Brooke, has various environmental features, and is designed to be totally self-sufficient power-wise, with a solar panel array providing its power.
Springwood Park was sold for $5.3 million in January 2006 as a result of the collapse of Andrew Garrett's wine empire.
Garrett, who was declared a vexatious litigant in 2007 following a long-running legal battle with the NAB, fought tooth and nail to hold on to the property.
Following Mr Spencer buying the site, Garrett threatened court action against him, claiming he still owned the home.
Garrett also lodged two bids, by tender, to buy the property, which sits on about 204ha, for $112,500,000 and $25,000,000.
National Australia Bank sold the property as security for more than $10 million in debts accrued by Garrett's Braidwood group of companies, which collapsed in 2004. He consistently argued he had the money to pay his debts but that the bank had not allowed him to do so. The bank has always maintained it has dealt with Mr Garrett fairly.
Garrett at one stage attempted to pay $10 million with bills of exchange from a purported Swiss bank, Creditnet Bank Internationale, which the NAB was unable to locate.
Even before Garrett's mounting debts scuppered his plans to build his second wine empire he had courted controversy on the site, illegally installing trellising and irrigation on the site in a bid to grow wine grapes.
Those grape vines, and other weeds such as olives trees, have been cleared from the site, which Mr Spencer is keen to preserve in as natural a state as possible.
"There's no vineyard on the site. There were some vines planted but they were taken out," Mr Spencer said.
"What we've done on the site is a lot of work removing olives and trying to take it back to its natural state because it had been rather overrun with olives and hawthorn and so on.
"Essentially the whole garden will be native.
"We're trying to build a home which sits appropriately on such a beautiful piece of property."
Toop & Toop managing director Anthony Toop, who sold the site to Mr Spencer, said it really was a "unique" property.
"That word's perhaps over-used in the industry, but this is a large piece of land just minutes from the city which is beautifully preserved," he said.
"If it were to be sold, it would probably be Adelaide's first sale over $10 million".
Mr Spencer, who grew up in Clarendon, moved back to Adelaide about 18 months ago and holds a number of positions including chairman of the SA Health and Medical Research Institute.