In a bid to position SA as the “southern gateway to the Outback,” a six-star Riverbank hotel is proposed to be built on 10,000sq m of land owned by the State Government and the Adelaide City Council, to the west of the Morphett St Bridge. The land is currently earmarked as a site for a helipad.

The $200-300 million hotel would rise up to 27 storeys and include penthouse suites and commercial offices. A national design competition, with the brief of an Outback theme, would be held. Strong input from the local indigenous community would help shape the proposal, which would include an indigenous art gallery in the basement.

A series of Investment Attraction South Australia documents have been released and Investment Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith says investors have shown “significant interest” in a Riverbank hotel development. “They need to see the land, they need to see the location, they need to see what our contribution will be and they need to see us as a partner to help them with planning,” he said. “The rest would be up to them.”

The demand for Adelaide hotel rooms during the Ashes Test reignited Hamilton-Smith’s passion for the hotel proposal.

Although the blueprint is yet to receive Cabinet approval, Mr. Hamilton-Smith hopes the land will be offered at a low price. “A high part of the cost of any such development is the land cost,” he said. “In this case, we own the land, it’s a very significant saving and that would enable the developer to put the extra money into the building.”

Click here to learn more about the Adelaide Riverbank precinct.