Urbane, Urbaner, Urbanest

Urbanest ("Urban Nest") is a 17 level building under construction on the corner of North Terrace and Bank Street, and will be the city's latest addition to the student accommodation business.

The developers and operators are saying it will be ready to occupy at the start of the 2011 university intake and it comprises of 488 rooms and studios with the rentals starting at $225 per week which includes internet, electricity and insurance.

This accommodation product differs from other student buildings in the city because it offers clusters of between 4 and 6 bedrooms around a shared living space and fully equipped kitchen. These secure bedroom spaces have ensuite bathrooms and are about 13 square metres in size. There are also premium rooms at the top floors, and studios which are fully self contained but cost more money to rent.

Park Terrace Gilberton

The former Channel 7 Studios site in the near city suburb of Gilberton has an extensive frontage to Park Terrace and a rear boundary to the River Torrens. Zoned residential, the location and size give it fabulous development potential, although parts of it have up to 8 meters of fill.

It has taken a long time for a project to be started, as the site has been vacant (except for the ducks) since 2007 when Channel 7 relocated to Hindmarsh.

Now it looks like it is finally all happening with demolition of the old buildings under way and said to be finished by the end of June. Apparently there was an approval for 56 dwellings and 9 courtyard blocks which lapsed, and now there is a current approval for 12 blocks.

We'll keep watching the site to see what evolves...

Transforming Walkerville

The vacant Department of Transport buildings in the heart of Walkerville look as though they will finally be transformed into 2 by 10 storey residential apartment and hotel buildings consisting of some 300 apartments and a 100 room boutique hotel.

The site was sold to Victorian developers last year for around $10 million, and it has been reported that they are going to spend $100 million transforming these early 1960's office buildings into modern contemporary style apartments. The site has some great attributes including fantastic views and a position within a very desirable suburb.

It's a pity that the Government didn't sell this site together with the adjoining site fronting to Walkerville Terrace (now a great big hole in the ground - apparently it was sold to different developers who are having financial problems), as car parking could be a real issue in the site's redevelopment.