SA election 2018: Old Royal Adelaide Hospital site needs iconic cultural building, Adelaide’s East End community says

THE old Royal Adelaide Hospital site development needs to incorporate an iconic, “must-visit” cultural building to attract tourists to the East End, the community says.

• Latest proposal: $350m for old RAH site but no apartments

• Other proposals for the old RAH site

• An artificial intelligence institute
• Accommodation for Fringe artists
• An urban landscape for military drills
• Not this $1 billion apartment deal
• Secret plan for contemporary art gallery at old RAH

THE old Royal Adelaide Hospital site development needs to incorporate an iconic, “must-visit” cultural building to attract tourists to the East End, the community says.

Community representatives, business owners and the Adelaide City Council are urging the next State Government to “get cracking” with development plans after the March 17 State Election, exactly one decade after Premier Jay Weatherill announced the new RAH in 2007.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese is calling on the next government to incorporate a “must-visit” cultural destination because the site “deserves something of gravitas”.

His thoughts are echoed by East End business owners, who this morning told The Advertiser the site’s development should include a “Mona” or “(Duncan) Chester” style building, similar to what has been done successfully in Tasmania and with the d'Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale.

Maybe something like the d'Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale would be good for the oRAH site? Picture: d'Arenberg Pty Ltd

Today, The Advertiser revealed Labor will spend $350 million over nine years on redeveloping the land, focusing on future industries including artificial intelligence, cyber security, renewable energy and film.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said the development of the site must pass “the public land, public benefit test”.

“Ultimately of course, it is public land (so) everything that happens on there, needs to be put through a filter.”

For that reason, Mr Haese said the council does not support long-term accommodation on the site.

He said “there’s an absolute imperative for the usages fronting North Tce to be cultural”.

“We’ve always said the oRAH deserves something of gravitas (and) as a tourist, it’s a must visit,” he said.

Mr Haese said he was also supportive of “anything educational or medical” for the site and was “very open to any usages with regards to innovation and technology”.

He urged the next State Government to “get cracking” on developing the site.

“We supported the tram, we co-invested into improving the streetscape to support the tram project to support the East End of Adelaide,” he said.

“The government needs to address this project with the sense of urgency it deserves.” .

East End Cellars owner Michael Andrewartha agreed the site should incorporate a “significant” cultural centre or art gallery, focusing on indigenous art.

“We have some of the best artefacts in the world here (so) a Mona-style building would enhance the whole East End or a Chester-style cube,” he said.

After March 17, he too said the government should “just get on with it”.

The Mona - Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart. Picture: Tourism Tasmania.

Labor has ruled out long-term accommodation for the site and a proposed $250 million contemporary art gallery adjacent the Adelaide Botanic Gardens will not be announced during the election campaign because results of a design competition are set to be released in April.

An artist’s impression of the redeveloped oRAH site, prepared for Renewal SA this year.

SA Best leader Nick Xenophon told The Advertiser this morning he believed a decision on the oRAH’s future “needs to be made shortly after the election by whomever forms government”.

“It needs to be a priority — there’s been too much stuffing around on that site for too long and it’s bad for the city, it’s bad for the state and particularly bad for the East End,” he said.

“I would want that site to be a beacon for people to be a magnet to attracting investment, jobs and people at the city and it should be part of keeping the East End as a vibrant part of the city.”

Mr Xenophon did not rule supporting the idea of putting some long-term accommodation on the site — a plan that has been rejected by Labor.

“It’s too early to say (but) I think that having a focus on just accommodation would be the wrong thing but whether there’s scope for some longer term accommodation needs to be considered,” he said.

“(The site needs to be) a priority of a new government, for that site to be redeveloped properly and well in consultation with local businesses.”

So far, the Liberals are yet to release their plans for the site.

Readers have also weighed in on the debate, with one commenting “it (the site) will be the next Le Cornu site”, the infamous block of land on North Adelaide’s O’Connell that has been vacant for three decades.

William commented Labor’s proposal was “better than the wall to wall apartments on the previous plan”.