‘Uniting in the City’ set to further invigorate Adelaide’s market precinct

The redevelopment of the headquarters of leading South Australian community service provider, Uniting Communities in Adelaide’s CBD, has been approved by the Development Assessment Commission of South Australia (DAC).

The $80 million ‘Uniting in the City’ project creates a 20-storey, multi-use building bringing together Uniting Communities’ extensive service offering and also creating specialist disability long-term rental and respite accommodation, along with unique city retirement living and additional office, hospitality and community spaces.

Uniting Communities’ Chief Executive, Simon Schrapel says the development will create a unique social services, residential and community hub in the heart of the city, just north of the Adelaide Central Markets on the corner of Franklin and Pitt streets.

“The formal approval by the DAC now allows us to move forward with this major project, which will enable us to extend the vital services we provide to many South Australians experiencing hardship,” he says.

“We are now in discussions with four selected builders, who will have the opportunity to bid for the project work, and we expect to have a preferred provider contracted in September this year.”

Mr Schrapel says the building will also be looking to achieve a recognised level of Australian excellence for building design and sustainability.

“Uniting Communities is the first South Australian organisation and the first registered charity in Australia to be officially certified by the Federal Government as ‘carbon neutral’ which is an achievement we are very proud of,” he says.

“We have a genuine commitment to sustainability and the outcomes it achieves and our new building should be – and will be – testament to that.”

The new ‘Uniting in the City’ building will pay respect to the history of the site and offer spaces for worship and church activities. It will also offer a new home for Uniting Communities’ services including Lifeline Adelaide, personal and family counselling and youth health programs.

An innovative new youth employment enterprise and creative community art installations will also be features of the redeveloped site.

“This is a hugely exciting project for South Australia. It’s bold and ambitious and celebrates the enormous commitment to inclusive community that is a hallmark of Uniting Communities,” says Mr Schrapel.

The project is also another shot in the arm for the revitalisation of the Adelaide market precinct.

It follows hot on the heels of recent State Government and Adelaide City Council commitments to the CBD, such as a $35 million budget allocation for the upgrade of the adjacent Her Majesty’s Theatre and a $15 million commitment to a network of connected lane ways – including Pitt St – designed to link Adelaide’s riverbank to the Central Market.

“We’re delighted that our project is right at the heart of this area which is about to be completely re-energised,” says Mr Schrapel.

The ‘Uniting in the City’ project is set to create 180 new jobs for South Australians and is anticipated to be completed in mid- 2018.