Southwark Grounds is set to become a fully serviced inner‑city neighbourhood, with a South Australian developer set to deliver more than 1,000 new homes alongside a supermarket, a childcare centre, an aged care facility and a vibrant hospitality and retail precinct.

Renewal SA has selected Commercial & General as the preferred partner to deliver the remaining two‑thirds of the city‑fringe development, including the adaptive reuse of the historic Walkerville Brew Tower.

The newly announced homes, services and amenities form part of the broader 1,300‑home Southwark Grounds development, expanding on five apartment and townhouse projects on the western side of the site announced last year, which will deliver approximately 300 residences.

Commercial & General, known for significant projects including Eighty‑Eight O’Connell in North Adelaide and WEST at West Lakes, will now enter exclusive negotiations with Renewal SA to finalise the development agreement.

These negotiations will pave the way for a decade-long program of works, building on the momentum of 17 townhouses that began construction in September last year, and a further four townhouse and apartment development sites in the precinct that are set to break ground in 2026.

Commercial & General is now finalising partnerships with architects and consultants to progress detailed plans for the precinct. Built form will be delivered by Commercial & General’s Tandem Building Company, with work expected to begin in 2027.

Early stages are anticipated to include significant apartment complexes, public parking and the redevelopment of the Walkerville Brew Tower, which will anchor the precinct’s public space with hospitality and retail uses.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard Mr Wingard said Renewal SA was keen to see public amenity including open green space, and some hospitality delivered early, particularly as residents begin moving into the precinct later this year.

“Southwark Grounds is moving at such a pace that we will have residents living here by the end of this year, so we are working closely with all development partners to ensure public amenity is delivered as early as possible,” he said.

Recently released artist impressions provide a glimpse of the adaptive reuse of the century-old Walkerville Brew Tower.

“The Brew Tower and its surrounds will prioritise hospitality and open space, creating a central meeting place for residents and visitors,” Mr Wingard said.

“While plans are still in the early stages, we are committed to working with Commercial & General to activate this space early in the precinct’s development and look forward to sharing more details once finalised.”

Other key elements planned for delivery within the next five years include a vertical residential aged care facility and a purpose-built childcare centre, with a supermarket and supporting retail to follow soon after.

This large section of the precinct will deliver more than 1,000 homes across approximately a dozen apartment buildings, with opportunities for increased yield to be explored through increased height allowances enabled by the recently launched Southwark Grounds Code Amendment.

Commercial & General will also deliver a dedicated 80-space short stay public car park to support anticipated visitor demand, in addition to parking provided within individual apartment developments.

More than 20 per cent of homes within the development area will be allocated to affordable sale or rental, meeting Renewal SA’s increased commitment to affordable housing across the precinct.

Each building will be designed by a range of architects to ensure a distinct identity, while maintaining a cohesive precinct character guided by Renewal SA and supported by design advice from the Office of Design and Architecture South Australia.

Apartment buildings will be framed by activated public thoroughfares and a series of new reserves to be delivered by Renewal SA across 2026 and 2027. Strategically designed open space will create a connected network of green spaces and links to an upgraded Karrawirra Parri / River Torrens Linear Trail.

The public realm, which will comprise a minimum of 15 per cent of the precinct, will be anchored by a major civic space known as Brewery Green, connecting the Walkerville Brew Tower to the river.

A dedicated residential sales centre is planned to open on site in early 2027, launching a rolling program of sales for Commercial & General’s portion of Southwark Grounds.

Sales will build on strong early momentum following the sellout of Founder’s Row, the first 17 townhouses in the precinct delivered by Renewal SA, which sold within weeks of hitting the market late last year.

Renewal SA acquired the Port Road site from Lion Beer Wine & Spirits Pty Ltd in 2023 following the closure of the former West End Brewery two years earlier. Private development partners were invited to bid in April 2025 following a market sounding process in late 2024.

Mr Wingard said progress to date had been significant for a project of this scale.

“We have come a very long way in a short amount of time, and we are now seeing this incredible precinct begin to take shape,” he said.

“This progress reflects strong collaboration between the public and private sectors and the enormous level of stakeholder enthusiasm for Southwark Grounds.”

Civil construction firm CATCON has now mobilised to site and will commence delivery of new roads, streetscapes and essential infrastructure throughout 2026.

Renewal SA has entered into contracts with Otello and Fortis, Contour Property, Kolabb and Samaras Construction to deliver a mix of townhouses and apartments on the boutique sites.