Adelaide Development Company loses extension bid for 15-storey office tower on Gawler Chambers

A proposed $25m tower on one of Adelaide’s most prominent heritage buildings – which has long been vacant – is in limbo after developers ran out of time.

The company behind a plan to transform the historic Gawler Chambers into a 15-storey office tower has lost their bid for extension to start the works for an eighth time.

The Adelaide Development Company, owned by the Roche family, had wanted a six-month planning consent extension, after its current approval lapsed on July 31.

In documents lodged with the State Commission Assessment Panel, the company said the extension was integral to finalising investment negotiations.

An artist impression of the Gawler Chambers office tower.

The SCAP committee considered the application at Wednesday’s meeting and resolved that the extension not be granted.

While there was benefit in keeping it active to conserve the heritage building, given the time that has passed and legislative changes, it should not be supported, the document stated.

The North Tce building – one of Adelaide’s most prominent heritage buildings – has remained abandoned since 2004.

Planning consent was originally granted in May 2012 for a $25m development that involved preserving the State Heritage-listed 1914 facade.

The report detailed the “economic climate” had been one of the reasons for previous time extensions to be granted.

Gawler Chambers on North Terrace has long been empty.

Inside Gawler Chambers. Picture: autopsyofadelaide

However, the original development was assessed under the old development act and the new design code would need to apply for any new assessment.

As part of the application, Heritage SA was consulted on the time extension, which believed it was “reasonable” to allow “one final extension”.

“Should a successful outcome to these current negotiations not be realised, there would be good reason I believe to retire this 10-year old consent,” the advice stated.

The Adelaide City Council did not oppose the extension, but stated the original application had been approved under a now outdated encroachment policy.

Gawler Chambers as it appeared in 1916.

Any new application to allow the building to encroach over the footpath would need to be redesigned to adhere to the council’s current policy, it said.

The planned five-star green-star building was designed by Philadelphia-based studio LFA in collaboration with Adelaide-based Matthews Architects.

It would create 5000sq m of commercial space.

An Adelaide Development Company spokesman said: “We’re disappointed in the decision by SCAP on the Gawler Chambers site. We’ll review the project and consider our options regarding future development.”