Martin Hamilton-Smith’s plan to address Adelaide’s hotel shortage

A SIX-star Riverbank Hotel showcasing the state’s indigenous history would be built near the Morphett Street bridge under Investment Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith’s plan to ease Adelaide’s accommodation shortage.

An artist’s impression of the new Riverbank Hotel. Picture: Enzo Caroscio Architecture

• Marty plans hotel over railway line
• Council pushes ahead with helipad plan

A SIX-star Riverbank hotel showcasing the state’s indigenous history would be built near the Morphett St bridge, in a plan by Investment Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith to ease Adelaide’s accommodation shortage.

It would boast a signature, Outback-themed design – conceived through a national design competition – and house commercial offices, penthouse suites and an indigenous art gallery in its basement.

Mr Hamilton-Smith hopes the investment – which he estimated could cost anywhere between $200 million and $300 million – would spark a series of job-creating “indigenous offerings” along the “widest and best bit of the Torrens”.

He says international investors have conveyed “significant interest” in a Riverbank hotel development, which has been spruiked in a series of Investment Attraction South Australia documents.

His blueprint is yet to receive Cabinet approval, but involves 10,000sqm of State Government and Adelaide City Council land being given to a private developer for a “peppercorn price”.

A similar deal was struck by former premier John Bannon with hotel chain Hilton to build their King William St accommodation.

Martin Hamilton-Smith hopes the investment will spark a series of job-creating “indigenous offerings”.

The new hotel would ideally ease our accommodation shortage. Picture: Enzo Caroscio Architecture

He stressed the proposal – which he hopes would position SA as the “southern gateway to the Outback” – would involve extensive con-sultation with the local and indigenous community. The council is currently pursuing using the land for a commercial helipad, but Mr Hamilton-Smith hopes he can persuade them to consider a hotel instead.

“A high part of the cost of any such development is the land cost,” he said.

“In this case, we own the land, it’s a very significant saving and that would enable the developer to put the extra money into the building.”

Mr Hamilton-Smith championed building a hotel over the West End rail lines in 2014 but said the “time is now right” to progress it.

The recent shortage of Adelaide hotel rooms during the Ashes Test reignited his passion for the project.

Mr Hamilton-Smith said there was “considerable” international interest in funding a five to six-star hotel but more detail was required.

“They need to see the land, they need to see the location, they need to see what our contribution will be and they need to see us as a partner to help them with planning,” he said. “The rest would be up to them.”

 

VISION FOR NEW ICONIC HOTEL

ON 10,000sq m of land owned by the State Government and the Adelaide City Council, to the west of the Morphett St Bridge

UP to 27 floors

OUTBACK-themed but design to be shaped by a national design competition

INDIGENOUS art gallery planned for the basement

FEATURES penthouse suites and commercial offices

COST to depend on scale of plans but estimated to be near $300 million

LAND to be sold for an extremely low price but to provide no other financial assistance