Aged Care Backed for Former Adelaide Fish Factory Site

National firm Regis Aged Care has secured a positive recommendation to demolish a defunct fish factory in the urbane Adelaide suburb of Parkside and replace it with a five-storey aged care home. In a report to South Australia’s State Commission Assessment Panel, senior government planner Joanne Young has recommended the 156-unit facility, planned for 100m south-east of the verdant Adelaide Park Lands, be approved. Young’s recommendation comes on the back of a largely glowing report on the inner-suburban project from SA Government Architect Kirsteen Mackay. “I support the provision of a high quality aged care development in this central location proximate the city and the [Adelaide] Park Lands and recognise the importance of this development typology and the consideration of residential wellbeing,” Mackay said. To create a 4904sq m landholding, Regis has consolidated five titles including the vacant faded-blue former factory of Cappo Fresh Seafood, a minor landmark that would be demolished. The aged care provider has proposed 136 “deluxe” units ranging from 24sq m to 30sq m and 20 “grand suites” between 44sq m and 52 square metres If the project is approved by the panel when it next meets on March 25, it would include a “memory support unit” comprising 14 of the 136 deluxe units, a common living and dining area and sensory room. All units would have windows with an outlook to either the project’s public realm or private courtyards. Some units on levels 3 and 4 would also have balconies that overlook four-lane Glen Osmond Road. ▲ The eastern edge of Regis’s planned aged care home will overlook busy Glen Osmond Road. The amalgamated block has 100m frontages to Glen Osmond Road and to narrow, tree-lined Chinner Avenue that runs parallel to the main thoroughfare. Mackay supported the proposed building height, which she considered generally consistent with the maximum envisaged height for the site. “I also support the built form composition that addresses the complex duality of the site in terms of contrasting urban conditions of Glen Osmond Road and residential quality of Chinner Avenue,” she said. “In my opinion, the three-storey townhouse-like scale is appropriate for the Chinner Avenue frontage, which interfaces ... smaller scale residential properties [on Chinner Avenue].” Other amenities in the development include a cinema, café, day spa-cum-hair salon, two courtyards, six outdoor terraces, five activity rooms and a fitness room. Mackay acknowledged there was logic behind the project’s main entry being from Chinner Avenue, with secondary pedestrian and bicycle access to Glen Osmond Road. “However in my opinion, the relegated location and limited legibility of the secondary entry present a missed opportunity in terms of the sense of address, achieving intuitive wayfinding and providing more direct access to the Park Lands,” she said. “I recommend consideration is given to the creation of a clear central spine through the building that directly aligns the two street entry points.” ▲ A rendering of the project’s main entry off Chinner Avenue. Mackay offered “strong” support for the project’s integrated design approach and early engagement of a landscape architect, which for the project was national firm Tract. “In my view, the quality of landscaping plays an important role on residential amenity both spatially and as outlook, particularly given the limited mobility of some residents,” she said. “I also support the intent to address the contrasting conditions of the street frontages with soft landscaping, including the provision of large trees within the setback area along the Glen Osmond Road frontage. “In my opinion, these sizable trees contribute to the mitigation of the adverse arterial road condition, assist with visually breaking down the mass and extent of the building and improve pedestrian amenity of Glen Osmond Road by providing canopy cover.” If approved, the aged care home—designed by Grieve Gillet Architects—would be Regis’s fifth in Adelaide, joining its facilities at Burnside, Marleston, Kingswood and Davoren Park. Regis executive general manager property Georgia Willis told The Urban Developer that Parkside was an “exceptional inner-suburban location, close to the CBD with access to green space, health services and local amenities”. “It’s a site with a strong local identity, and we’re excited to be progressing a development that will deliver a high-quality aged care residence the community can be proud of,” she said. “We focus on locations where there is genuine need for quality aged care services and where we can deliver the best outcomes for residents. “Inner and middle-ring locations like Parkside give us the opportunity to rethink traditional aged care design, creating contemporary, purpose-built environments that are better connected to community and support a more modern experience of ageing.” ▲ Georgia Willis from Regis said inner-city locations like Parkside encourage the company to rethink traditional aged care design. Willis said South Australia was a key focus for Regis, which would own and operate the Parkside project. “We are actively exploring further opportunities to expand our presence and deliver high-quality aged care services across the state as demand continues to grow,” she said.

Aged Care Backed for Former Adelaide Fish Factory Site

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