Smoke warning over fire at Buckingham Arms hotel in Gilberton

A fire has broken out at a historic pub in Adelaide’s inner suburbs that dates to the 1840s.

A fire causing thick smoke to billow over Adelaide’s eastern suburbs has damaged a historic pub that is the part of a controversial development proposal for highrise apartments.

The blaze broke out at the 1846-built Buckingham Arms Hotel, at the corner of Walkerville and Northcote terraces in Gilberton, about 11am on Saturday, resulting in road closures and traffic diversions.

The MFS advised locals to stay inside and close doors and windows.

Local Dylan Lawrence saw the smoke and emergency vehicle lights from his home nearby.

“The pub has been vacant for a while and I believe they’ve had development plans to put flats there,” he said.

There is no suggestion the fire was deliberately lit.

The fire at the Buckingham Arms Hotel in Gilberton. Picture: Celeste Centofanti

A smoke warning was issued in the area. Picture: Celeste Centofanti

Smoke rises from the Buckingham Arms Hotel. Picture: Dean Martin

Locals have been divided over plans for a 10-storey apartment project on the site, including adapting the historic building as a restaurant.

Adelaide developer Citify’s original $150m, 182-apartment plan, with three interlinked towers, was rejected in March by the State Commission Assessment Panel, which said its scale and design “negatively impacts the existing local heritage place”.

Citify is appealing that rejection in the Environment, Resources and Development Court.

In the meantime it has put forward two alternatives.

One is for a revised apartment project of the same 32m height but with slightly fewer dwellings and significantly altered design with varied setbacks to address community concerns.

Citify’s revised proposal for the Buckingham Arms Hotel site. Picture: Supplied

“We believe the design is considerably more sympathetic to the adjoining local heritage place, which will be restored under the new plans,” Citify managing director Joel Wilkinson said last month.

“We have reduced the commercial space, added nearly 1500sq m of communal open space and we are proposing diverse accommodation options and amenities for residents and visitors.”

The second alternative is for 29 three-storey townhouses.

Citify declined to comment on Saturday.

Another local Will Mcleay came to see the fire with son Hamish, 6, to show him the good work emergency services do and because he used to work at the Buckingham Arms.

The original $150m proposal rejected by SCAP. Picture: Forum architects

“We just saw the smoke from up the road and I just thought my son is pretty interested in fire engines so we’d come down have a little bit of a look,” he said.

“I also worked in the pub when it was a bottle shop 20-odd years ago so I thought I’d come down, see what’s happened to it now.”

Originally published as Smoke warning over fire at Buckingham Arms hotel in Gilberton