The Thebarton community will be consulted on the next stage of a groundbreaking, billion-dollar project that will set a new benchmark for inner city living.

The Thebarton project will target a world-class, vibrant, climate-resilient, mixed-use community on 8.4 hectares of land bound by Port Rd to the east, the Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens) to the north and Holland Street to the west.

The project, on the site of the former West End Brewery, will celebrate the site’s extraordinary heritage and riverbank location, while driving both the ongoing transformation of the suburb and investment in the area. It will attract about $1 billion in construction and development value.

A consortium including global firm Arup, Breathe Architecture and landscape designers TCL was selected in April to prepare the master plan for Renewal SA’s significant urban infill project at Thebarton.

The draft master plan will now be shown to the community for feedback, which will help refine and guide the final plan. This process follows on from the Code Amendment community engagement in mid-2023, which highlighted the community’s aspirations for the site.

The Thebarton project is targeting:

• 1,000 homes and 20% affordable housing
• Significant areas of public space as part of an enhanced Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens) linear park
• An integrated street, cycle, walking and public transport network
• A diverse range of medium-to-high density properties boasting parklands, river or city views
• Sustainable buildings in a biodiverse ecological setting
• 30 per cent tree canopy coverage
• 6 Star Green Star Communities rating
• Mixed uses that will include retail, commercial, government services and hospitality
• More than 4000 jobs during construction, with upwards of 300 people working in the precinct on an ongoing basis
• Continuous celebration of the site’s history and heritage with the adaptive reuse of the Walkerville Brewhouse, activation of the area around the Theberton Cottage foundations, as well as recognition and celebration of First Nations culture
• Neighbourhood rejuvenation and investment in the broad precinct and surrounds.

The site will also propose an innovative Mobility Hub, which will provide for locals who use their own car while also offering services such as share cars, scooters and e-bike charging.

Chris Menz, Chief Executive Renewal SA, said the project was a significant opportunity and the agency was “looking to bring a rich mix of housing, complimented by places to work, visit and enjoy that will redefine this site, and the suburb, for future generations”.

“We want to create a genuine sense of place, with close connections to the Karrawirra Parri (River Torrens), the nearby Parklands and city and the long, enduring history of the area, with a particular focus on recognition of the sites immediate history and historical as being key to the Kaurna peoples,” Mr Menz said.

“We want to take the community along for this journey, which is why this next stage of consultation is so significant.”

Engagement drop-in sessions will be held on Saturday, 31 August and Thursday, 5 September. Community members can also share their views anytime from 31 August to 22 September online at https://renewalsa.mysocialpinpoint.com

Following consultation, work will begin on finalising the master plan, which is expected to be released later this year. Construction is expected to start in mid-2025, with the first residents anticipated to move in 2027.

The West End Brewery closed in June 2021, marking the end of 135 years of brewing operations on the famed site. Beer was first brewed there in 1886 as the Torrenside Brewery.

The state government reached an agreement to purchase the 8.4-hectare Thebarton site from Lion Beer Wine & Spirits Pty Ltd (Lion) for $61.5 million in September 2023.

Thorough consideration will also be given to preserve and highlight the site’s historic structures including the Walkerville Brewhouse and the plaque depicting the site of Colonel Light’s cottage (currently in storage), which are Local Heritage Places.

The master plan will build on the preliminary vision outlined by Renewal SA following its purchase from Lion last year. The former ‘West End Brewery Christmas Lights’, in collaboration with the City of West Torrens and the SA Government, will continue the Riverbank Christmas Display tradition in 2024.