Glenelg’s Tallest Tower Wins SCAP Planning Consent

South Australia’s State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) has granted planning consent to Karidis Corporation for an 18-storey mixed-use tower at Glenelg, subject to six reserved matters and four conditions.

Determined at a SCAP meeting on March 11, the project would be Glenelg’s tallest building by five levels, surpassing a cluster of 13-storey towers including the Atlantic Tower Motor Inn.

The development at 15 Colley Terrace would rise on a 1125sq m cleared site across Colley Terrace from the Norfolk Pine-lined Colley Reserve.

It would include a ground-floor restaurant, five levels of serviced apartments, seven levels of retirement living apartments, one level of residential apartments, four levels of above-ground car parking and a basement car park.

Adelaide-based architecture firm Baukultur designed the tower, which exceeds the urban neighbourhood zone desired height by six levels.

State senior planning officer Joanne Reid, in her report to the panel, said the 106-apartment project would “positively respond to the local context” and not “result in unreasonable impacts on nearby land uses”.

Noting the height required “significant justification”, she argued the site’s attributes and design features meant the additional levels would not be “significantly impactful beyond its setting”.

Government architect Kirsteen Mackay wrote a letter of support ahead of the hearing, backing “the ambition to deliver a high-quality development with a residential focus in this location” and endorsing the building’s proposed “bold” podium.

Six reserved matters must be resolved before development approval is granted.

These cover external materials and finishes, a landscape planting schedule, stormwater management, wind mitigation for outdoor terraces, the Level 18 penthouse floor plan, and an updated acoustic report on restaurant noise impacts.

▲ Karidis Corporation’s 18-storey Colley Terrace tower will stand five levels taller than any other building in Glenelg.

All design submissions are to be prepared in consultation with the government architect.

Federal approval under the Airports Act 1996 is also required before work can begin.

The building will stand 60.3m tall but its position above sea level means the structure reaches 64.335m which will penetrate Adelaide Airport’s Obstacle Limitation Surfaces by approximately 16m, triggering the need for separate federal approval.

Crane operations during construction would also need separate clearance under the same regulations.

The tower forms Stage 4 of the Avista Glenelg retirement village on Durham Street. A ground-floor walkway through the building would connect Colley Terrace and Durham Street.

Construction must substantially commence within 24 months of development approval and be completed within three years.