Historic North Adelaide church set to have six-storey neighbour
Developers want to build a new multi-level apartment block alongside a North Adelaide state heritage-listed church built in 1882. Six street-level businesses would be demolished to make way for the new structure.
Developer Leyton Property wants to build a six-level mixed use building on 74-80 Melbourne Street with a ground floor shop right alongside St Cyprian’s Anglican Church.
Six Melbourne Street businesses would be demolished to make way for the development, including Melbourne St Laundromat, Fika Café, ThriveIV, The BodyWorx Osteopathy, Comfort and Fit, Fika Café and EP. EP. Exercise Physiology and Movement.
The building would be 22 metres high and include 19 residential dwellings comprising three one-bedroom apartments, nine two-bedroom apartments, six three-bedroom apartments and one four-bedroom apartment, according to its plans lodged with the State Planning Commission.
According to the planning report, Heritage SA sought design changes with respect to mass, eastern elevation and setbacks between the development and St Cyprian’s, with these changes taken on board.
St Cyprian’s Anglican Church was first built in 1882 and was added to the state heritage list in 1986, while construction on the St Cyprian’s Church Hall behind the church was completed in 1894 and was officially heritage listed in 2002 as “it demonstrates important aspects of the evolution or pattern of the state’s history”.
Heritage consultant Sandy Wilkinson, who was recently elected to the Norwood and St Peters Council on the back of his push for greater heritage protection, said North Adelaide’s heritage listed buildings were “fundamental to its character, charm and appeal”.
“It’s imperative that new development in context of these historic buildings, respects that prevailing low scale to the street, and has a podium that is of a height that relates to the prevailing historic streetscape,” Wilkinson said.
“The development should have a podium that is two stories high and then it should have a substantial setback before it goes up.”
In a statement prepared by Norwood architecture firm SMFA, the developer’s report said “the potential for loss of heritage significance is limited.”
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“The development does not involve demolition or alteration of any listed heritage places,” the statement said.
“Key heritage values such as the prominence of St Cyprian’s Church, the traditional street level rhythm, and material language of the area are upheld.”
In a planning report, it said “SMFA have liaised with Heritage SA to address the proposed design in relation to the existing adjacent heritage structures.”
“This includes setbacks, facade materiality and openings, form and reference to horizontal datum lines,” the report said.
