Adelaide Oval boutique hotel gets development planning approval

Adelaide Oval operators are hunting for builders for a 128-room boutique hotel wrapping around the eastern grandstand after it received development approval on Friday, in a process opponents branded secretive and rushed.

• Sunday Mail reveals SMA plans for oval hotel
• Councillors mount effort to stop the plan
• Adelaide City Council votes to oppose it

Adelaide Oval operators are hunting for builders for a 128-room boutique hotel wrapping around the eastern grandstand after it received planning approval on Friday, in a process opponents branded secretive and rushed.

The State Commission Assessment Panel approval came just nine days after plans were lodged on December 12, which was a day after the Adelaide City Council unanimously voted to oppose the project.

The Oval Stadium Management Authority (SMA) and the State Government, which is financing the hotel with a loan of up to $42 million, both hailed the approval as an important milestone,

SMA chief executive officer Andrew Daniels said: “This enables us to start seeking a builder and keeps us on schedule in terms of completion of a fully compliant project in time for the T20 World Cup in August 2020.”

But Labor treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan accused the Government of rushing planning approval just before Christmas to avoid scrutiny and Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor vowed to continue pushing it to abandon support for the hotel.

Artist’s impression of the Adelaide Oval Hotel. Picture: Supplied

Approval was given for a five-level building, to be integrated with the eastern grandstand and east gate entry, comprising a central elevated reception pod, concourse level lift shafts and two elevated sections on either side of the east gate.

Associated infrastructure would include alterations to lift configurations and corridors/public areas to allow separation and management of hotel and event patrons, along with selected demolition of eastern grandstand facade and architectural elements.

Eight planning conditions were imposed, according to the publicly available decision notification form, including that the patina and finish of bronze and any new copper mesh complement the existing eastern grandstand’s anodised bronze finish. Building rules consent and development approval are still required.

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The Sunday Mail last month revealed plans for the Australian-first stadium hotel, which proponents say will not extend past the footprint for the Oval created during the award-winning $535 million redevelopment opened in 2014

Acting Planning Minister David Speirs said it was welcome news that the Oval hotel was one step closer to reality.

‘The State Government required that, through the planning process, the proposed hotel went through the Office for Design and Architecture SA, which ensured the design of the proposed hotel would complement the Oval,” he said.

Adelaide Oval will become the first stadium in Australia to feature an integrated hotel under plans by the Stadium Management Authority. Picture: Supplied

“This exciting development will support over a hundred local jobs and help breathe life into North Adelaide by drawing more tourists to the area.

“Adelaide needs more hotels of this calibre and the Government is delighted to see this project moving forward.”

But Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, whose council does not have planning authority over the hotel, said bluntly: “Council strongly opposes the hotel development and will continue to advocate to the State Government to withdraw its support.”

Opposition Treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said: “It is extraordinary that this was considered and approved within 9 days — this is further evidence of the special treatment the Marshall Liberal Government is providing their friends at the Stadium Management Authority.

“It’s bad enough that a $42 million taxpayer-funded loan is being provided to a private hotel to compete with the rest of hotel industry — now the government is providing special treatment for the SMA through the planning system.”

Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association president Shane Sody said the hotel was fundamentally different to the adjacent sports venue.

“This is a 24/7 private business designed to make money for a select few to the exclusion of the public,” he said.

“The concept is completely different to the Oval and utterly objectionable.”

Mr Sody said the association would co-ordinate a “black armband” silent protest at the hotel site on Saturday, January 5, at noon.