Renewal SA’s plan to redevelop Port Adelaide into a thriving residential, commercial and tourism precinct has reached a major milestone with the first residents moving into the Dock One waterfront development.
This is a tangible achievement for the project, which has been transforming the Port into a contemporary, mixed urban area while honouring its shipping and industrial harbour history. The shift began with the development of the Port Adelaide Precinct Plan in 2012; a 20-year vision with the goal of attracting more people to live, work, invest and spend time in the Port.
The redevelopment of the waterfront site at Dock One commenced in 2017 following an Expression of Interest process. Starfish Developments was selected for the redevelopment of both the Dock One and Port Approach sites—a total of seven hectares—which will result in the creation of 650 homes.
Richard and Kelli are among the first residents to now call Dock One home and are very pleased with their new neighbourhood. The couple have made the big move from Canberra back to Adelaide and found the perfect blend of lifestyle in the Port and its surrounds.
“We moved from Canberra, which is a really easy city to live in, but it misses out on the ocean,” Kelli says. “Being in Port Adelaide means we have the best of both worlds. We have the funky village feel with proximity to the ocean.
“When we want to go to the beach, it is an easy short five-minute drive to the lovely coast path and beach,” Richard says. “We like to support our local businesses as much as possible and so far, we have found just about everything we need within a five-kilometre radius.”
The heritage buildings and local arts scene have also hit the right note for the pair.
“We love the old buildings and the restorations have obviously been done with great care and skill,” Kelli says. “The repurposing of some of the old buildings is amazing and we feel really adds to the eclectic feel of the area. The Wonderwalls are brilliant. The focus on the creative and the art in Port Adelaide was certainly a drawcard,” she says, adding that they can see three of the Wonderwall murals from their house.
“We are proud to tell people that we live in the Dock One development in Port Adelaide,” Richard says. “There are a lot of people in Adelaide who have not been to the Port for a long time and developments like Dock One will bring people to the Port. I am sure when they are here, they will understand just why we have moved in.”
The Dock One north and south developments will provide the opportunity for up to 1,100 new residents to join the Port community. The full Dock One development will also deliver a total of 425 construction jobs in areas from earthworks and civil construction to landscaping, and the renovation and refurbishment of the Marine and Harbours Building to create a boutique hotel.
The revitalisation of Port Adelaide has attracted a range of other new businesses and activity.
The new office building on Nile Street and the conversion of the former Port Adelaide TAFE SA have boosted the daytime workforce by an additional 750 people. Renewal SA was also able to lure local fishing company Southern Sea Eagles into the Port with their headquarters now established at Cruickshank’s Corner.
Meanwhile, the conversion of the Hart’s Mill precinct into a thriving community space and venue has attracted a wide range of local, national and international events to Port Adelaide, which is boosting visitor numbers and opening people’s eyes to the Port’s many qualities.