Kent Town hotel, apartment tower to hit 12 storeys in rezoning

A two-storey Kent Town motel would be demolished for a 12-storey residential tower overlooking the parklands under a rezoning proposal seeking to bring higher-density development to Adelaide’s city fringes.

Under the rezoning proposal, the height limit at 27 Dequetteville Terrace would be raised from five to 12 storeys, paving the way for motel Econolodge East Adelaide to be replaced.

Adelaide development company Ginos Group would build a tower at the address, housing 113 apartments and 138 hotel rooms.

The rezoning application, prepared by consultancy Future Urban, said the development would create about 150 jobs.

Only the one 3692 sqm block would be rezoned under the proposal, with other parts of Kent Town already zoned to allow taller buildings.

Other Kent Town buildings overlooking the Adelaide Parklands include the 12-storey Parkline Apartments, and the proposed 15- and 16-storey Royal Apartments.

Ginos Group owner Zis Ginos said the development’s number of hotel rooms and apartments could change in the future, with plans still at an early stage.

He said it could be a “really first-class hotel” but the idea needed “a lot of further investigation”.

“It is a special area. It overlooks um the city of Adelaide, the hills, and adjoins the parklands. It is a unique site, and never underestimate the views,” Mr Ginos said.

Planning Minister Nick Champion said Adelaide’s inner fringe had “enormous capacity to grow”.

“This is exactly the kind of well-serviced, well-connected location on the edge of the CBD where we should be building up to increase housing supply,” he said.

“The city fringe presents an incredible opportunity for downsizers to buy in an excellent location on the doorstep of the parklands and CBD while making the most of our government’s downsizer tax relief.”

Adelaide Parklands Association president Matt Monti said his group did not take a position on the development because it was not within the parklands.

“If that’s going to be a residential building and there’s going to be more people residing so close to the parklands, we would like to see them preserved, and we wouldn’t like more destruction of them from the state government,” he said.

Future Urban’s rezoning proposal said the address was “under-utilised, with the existing use not representing the highest and best use for a prominent gateway location”.

Meeting rooms and a cafe or restaurant could also be included in the proposed tower.