Affordable housing precinct proposed for Adelaide

Renewal SA has unveiled its vision to transform the former Adelaide Bus Station into a mixed-use precinct with affordable housing designed by Woods Bagot.

To be named Tapangka, which means "the experience of journey" in Kaurna, the precinct is being marketed as "a journey of reconciliation, a journey of home ownership, a journey towards sustainability and a journey of collaboration between the city and the state to achieve the best outcomes for the community."

Renewal SA will purchase the site in order to redevelop it into what its hopes will become the first carbon neutral precinct in Adelaide CBD.

The precinct will comprise two mixed-use towers and a central civic building. It will accommodate 392 apartments, 137 of which will be classified as affordable housing. There will be 85 rental units and 51 for-sale units.

The precinct will also include a 208-room hotel and a series of laneways, which will be populated with food and beverage venues.

"Adelaide is ready for a bold new approach to city living," said Woods Bagot principal Alex Hall. "Our design for Tapangka reflects this and puts human experience at the heart of the built environment."

South Australian minister for housing and urban development Nick Champion said, "This city-defining project, driven by affordable housing, will open the door to inner-city living for South Australians who find themselves locked out of a market under significant pressure.

"We are bringing the Build-to-Rent model into the CBD for the first time, providing another way to help address housing shortages and ease the rental squeeze."

Renewal SA was chosen by the City of Adelaide to develop the site, which the council will retain until 2025 as an on site car park during the redevelopment of the nearby Adelaide Central Market, also designed by Woods Bagot.

"The State Government's proposal will help accelerate investment and growth within our city," said lord mayor Jane Lomax-Smith. "Adelaide needs more affordable housing, so I'm pleased this plan includes 35 percent affordable housing, more than double the 15 percent requirement - as well as build-to-rent apartments and an opportunity for investment in community space.

"There will also be space for retail and hospitality outlets, and a mixed-use development, which will no doubt enhance and support the much-loved Market District."

Construction is expected to begin in 2026 with completion anticipated in 2029.