Commenting on the story: ‘Huge opportunity’: Landmark city car park primed for major development

A site of this scale and location would be a tremendous opportunity for an open space, European square type of development.

The linking of Rundle Street and Rundle Mall by reclaiming the roads and extending the pedestrian zone further would increase the feeling of scale. Ring the market space with cafes and allow them to place tables and chairs into the square.

Develop housing above the cafes and the city would be given a great new destination, foot traffic will bridge both Rundle Mall and Rundle Street and additional housing will be provided. – Russell Schrale

I believe a new concert venue, especially for Adelaide’s orchestras, is many years overdue. Adelaide is the only state capital that does not have a concert hall for its orchestras.

If for once the design could be pleasing to the eyes, rather than a shoebox like so many other contemporary buildings in Adelaide, then for sure this would greatly enhance the appeal of Adelaide for visitors and tourists.

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Adelaide has a proud history of cultural excellence; to finally have a concert hall can only complement and enhance that excellence. – Adrian Terrell

Commenting on the story: City council changes course on opening prayer – again

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Noon: “We can’t just throw out tradition because of our own personal beliefs.” Why not? Aren’t you trying to impose your own personal beliefs on others?

If tradition matters, then let’s have a witch hunt or an Inquisition. – Paul McKinnon

Commenting on the story: Cost $114m and rising for Thebarton police barracks move

This is a classic example of more haste less speed, or putting the cart before the horse. The attempt to fast-track the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital has resulted in poor decision making, a massive budget blowout, the loss of State Heritage, risk to the nationally listed park lands and massive uncertainty for all concerned.

It’s time that all our politicians realised that building projects are not political toys. When done properly and with good process they are investments in the future of South Australia. When rushed to suit election cycles they waste huge amounts of taxpayers money, saddle South Australia with facilities that don’t work well and are expensive to operate and maintain and damage our environment.

So far the nWCH project has cost taxpayers around $75m in delay costs, and there is no date when construction can start, so this figure will continue to grow. Even if the second half of 2024 is achievable that’s another $50m in delay costs.

Meanwhile the cost of the police relocations continues to increase and no-one is talking about the cost to rebuild the Port Road bridge. There’s also the fact that there has been no referral for the Australian Heritage Council in relation to the impact on the National Heritage Listed park lands. If this is not done in a timely manner this may result in further costly delays or a fine.

Then there’s the significant likelihood of further delays to undertake archaeological investigations once demolition of the Thebarton Police Barracks and site excavation starts. Add to that the ongoing costs for transporting the horses to the city from Gepps Cross.

Since the barracks site was announced as the site for the nWCH the proposed tram stop outside the hospital has been cancelled, so that reduces the connectivity of the hospital to private transport. Women requiring emergency transfers to the RAH will still require an ambulance, as they do currently. And just how many women are transferred per year? This number has not been revealed.

So, once again, why is the nWCH being built in the park lands, when there is no direct connection to the RAH, patient connection to the park lands won’t be a reality due to SA Health protocols and there is no room for future expansion without further alienation of yet more precious public green space?

The money spent on delay costs to date and required for new police facilities is enough to pay for a different site and an upgrade of the existing police facilities. Meanwhile the cost keeps growing and all those directly impacted are left in limbo.

And let’s not even start on the delay costs for halting construction on the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery…  yet another example of a rushed, politicised process that is costing South Australia dearly. – Nicolette Di Lernia

Commenting on Your views and Court challenge to Rundle St tower rejection

How long since Robert Farnan has actually visited Rundle Street or the Adelaide CBD more broadly?

Rundle Street is not our “only must-visit zone,” with streets like Peel and Leigh both popular night-life spots, and Hutt, Gilles and Halifax also providing an interesting hospitality and retail offering.

There is also not much of an “edgier retail offering and hospitality” on Rundle Street anymore. Certainly this was true in the 90s for Rundle Street, and for Ebenezer Place in the 00s and early 2010s, but the former has long since had some of the highest rents in the Adelaide CBD. This “edgier” feel still exists, but only in small pockets around places like the Exeter Hotel.

Finally, it is far from being our “our only fully functioning human-scale main street precinct,” with Gouger and the west-end of Hindley Street also providing a good offering for this. – Louis Rankin