Adelaide Oval, Festival Centre, Convention Centre and Casino raise Festival Plaza alarm
Alarm has been raised by Adelaide powerbrokers about the $600m Festival Plaza redevelopment’s capacity to safely stage large events and its inadequate, unnecessary and obstructive design features — READ THE LETTERS.
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The $600 million Festival Plaza development lacks the capacity to safely stage large events and contains “unnecessary and obstructive features”, according to Adelaide powerbrokers.
In two co-signed letters sent to Premier Steven Marshall, leaders of the Adelaide Oval, Festival Centre, Casino and Convention Centre warn some aspects of the neighbouring Plaza’s public square design are impractical and have urged State Government action on the site.
The letters, dated April 2 and July 9 last year, describe the Festival Plaza redevelopment as “an opportunity to create one of the most significant public spaces in Adelaide”.
However, in the April letter, the group says a recent discussion with architects about Plaza designs “highlighted how far from a practical solution we still are” and draws attention to the discussion’s minutes.
“These show the group’s concerns that the Plaza does not yet include capacity to safely stage large events, lacks the facilities necessary and contains unnecessary and obstructive features,” the April 2 letter states.
The first letter, dated July 9 last year states action on the site is a “matter of great urgency”.
The previous Labor government released preliminary designs for the public square in consultation with neighbouring Riverbank groups in 2017.
Concerns also have been aired about a lack of public toilets in the square, along with fears it is too small and cluttered for outdoor performances.
The April letter was sent to Planning Minister Stephan Knoll and copied to the Premier. Both letters are signed by: Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority chairman and former governor Kevin Scarce; Adelaide Venue Management Corporation chairman and the Premier’s economic adviser Bill Spurr; Adelaide Casino chairman Bruce Carter and Adelaide Festival Centre Trust chairman Michael Abbott, QC.
The 2018 letter urges “an independent review of the form of the Festival Plaza redevelopment, including how and by whom it would be operated”. It is not clear whether this happened.
The Sunday Mail asked if the letters reflected their current positions on the Plaza redevelopment but their spokespeople declined comment.
Billionaire developer Lang Walker and the State Government are at loggerheads over his bid for a second office tower in the Festival Plaza development, where his firm’s planned 23-storey office tower and three-level entertainment/retail complex were approved in 2016.
Mr Knoll and Labor treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan last week accused each other’s party of causing significant delays to the project, which was conceived in 2012.
Further concerns about the site design are addressed in a third letter concerning the development, from Walker Group chief operating officer David Gallant on October 21.
He urges changes to address issues raised in December at a meeting of the Riverbank Entertainment Precinct Advisory Committee, which includes representatives of the Oval, Casino, Festival Centre and Convention Centre.
The letter says these issues include:
NO public toilets in the Plaza or direct access there from the carpark.
SMALL, cluttered spaces that do not support outdoor performances.
SIGNIFICANT budget blowouts from the current design and no provision for ongoing maintenance and curation of the Plaza.
Mr Gallant’s letter, recipients of which included the Casino, Festival Centre, Oval and Convention Centre, urges flexible event spaces with capacity of more than 5000 people and suggests a meeting to discuss a “unified position to put forward to the SA Government”.
This would express “the concerns with the current (Plaza) design” and “reiterate our willingness to work together to deliver a world-class space that the Government and all South Australians can be proud of”.
When asked about the letter Walker Group also declined comment.
Excavation is advanced for a 1560-space carpark immediately north of Parliament House as part of the 25,000 sqm development, to which the State Government is contributing $100 million.
This is due to be completed in time for the neighbouring Adelaide Casino’s $330 million expansion opening in October next year, although there is significant concern about construction for the Walker tower disrupting the precinct after that.
Responding to Sunday Mail questions, Mr Knoll said the government is “finalising a design for the Plaza” and has “a great working relationship with all stakeholders”.
“The timeline for this project has not changed since we came to government,” he said.
“We have said often and publicly that the second tower proposed by Walker is not being considered.”
Mr Mullighan said all key players had agreed on plans for the Festival Centre redevelopment in 2017 and the project was progressing at the time of the state election in March last year.
“Steven Marshall and Stephan Knoll need to explain why they decided to revise the previously agreed plans, which has led to these delays, and what cost overruns their decisions have caused,” Mr Mullighan said.
An Adelaide Festival Centre spokeswoman declined to comment on the letters but said: “Adelaide Festival Centre supports the construction of the new car park and redevelopment of Festival Plaza.
Spokespeople for the Adelaide Oval, Convention Centre and Casino all declined to comment.
READ THE LETTERS
