Call to increase building heights in Adelaide’s CBD, near parklands, to boost investment and vibrancy

Adelaide is growing up but a man aiming to deliver Adelaide’s tallest building believes we can go higher.

Adelaide’s tallest building, 135m Frome Central (left) and neighbouring 132m Realm at 132m, which were developed following easing of building heights in 2012.

Adelaide must lift building heights to drive more investment and get more people living and working in the CBD says the man who is helping to deliver what will be the city’s tallest building.

Chris Vounasis, director of Adelaide planning consultancy Future Urban, said the time was ripe to review building heights in the CBD, taking account of existing and approved buildings, and the renewed focus on Adelaide as a place to live.

“More attention is on Adelaide than ever before so we should be putting the necessary work in now to take advantage of this opportunity,” he said, in the wake of Adelaide’s reputation as a liveable city.

“If it means relaxing building heights in additional (appropriate) locations to contribute to a more liveable, active and safe city, then this is something I wholeheartedly support.”

He said zoning changes in 2012 removing building heights in the so-called Capital City Zone - an area largely bounded by North Tce, Victoria Square, Pulteney St and just east of Morphett St - had stimulated activity around the city’s “core”.

Future Urban’s managing director Chris Vounasis said there is scope to increase allowable building heights in the city. Picture Mark Brake

But he said there had been a “missed significant opportunity” to “maximise height” next to the parklands, around “some” city squares and “key infrastructure” such as trams, main roads and main streets.

“The parklands and squares provide a high level of amenity where we should be encouraging height and density,” he said. “Such would ultimately increase the use of the parklands.”

Mr Vounasis’s Adelaide firm has provided planning advice for projects including the twin 31-storey towers behind Newmarket Hotel, Hyatt Regency’s proposed Pirie St hotel and is preparing the planning documentation for a proposed 180m 55-storey tower on the corner of Pulteney and Flinders St.

If approved, the apartment and hotel project lodged with the state government in January, would become Adelaide’s tallest building dwarfing the current 135m record held by Frome Central tower.

The 132m Westpac Tower, opened originally as the State Bank building in 1988, was Adelaide’s tallest building until 2019.

Mr Vounasis said relaxing building heights would increase investment potential and encourage more people to work and live in or near the city.

He said any further easing of maximum building heights would need to have regard to airport flight paths but he said developers had that less of a concern in the city’s East End.

“Our recent experience suggests that higher buildings across the city can be achieved whilst ensuring there is no risk to flight paths, depending on location,” Mr Vounasis said.

Mr Vounasis said the eastern side of Dequetteville Tce and Fullarton Road, just outside the CBD, also leant themselves to taller buildings given their proximity to the parklands.

Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon said that while federal aviation laws prevent “serious building heights” being reached in Adelaide, the “sky’s the limit” for investment in SA.

“Net absorption of commercial office space is currently 40 per cent above Adelaide’s 20-year average, which tells us tenant demand is strong,” he said.

“Over the past five years, Adelaide’s CBD has changed significantly, with a massive injection of investment into commercial and residential towers adorning out skyline.

“Throughout the pandemic, companies like Charter Hall, ICD Property, Walker Corporation, Cbus Property and Pelligra have doubled down on Adelaide. This has resulted in a growing skyline and healthier economy.

“As more tech giants and professional services firms continue to call Adelaide home, we will need bigger workplaces in a growing CBD to keep up with this demand.”