Leading South Australian charity, Uniting Communities, is about to see its $80 million CBD development project get underway with the official appointment of national construction leader Built and work set to start later this month.
The redevelopment of the community services provider’s Franklin Street headquarters is set to create 180 jobs during construction and more than 30 ongoing jobs in the future, with the development of new 20-storey, multi-use building.
In a South Australian first, the development will include a specialist disability short stay accommodation facility, six floors of retirement living residences, specially designed long-term rental accommodation for people living with a disability, retail and office spaces, 400 seat function centre, ground floor café and retail centre and will be home to a wide range of Uniting Communities’ services.
The building – to be branded ‘UCity’ – has been designed as a world first, mixed use residential, commercial, retail and social services hub in the heart of the city and will take approximately two years to complete.
Uniting Communities Chief Executive, Simon Schrapel welcomed the announcement of the builder and the unveiling of the new building’s name.
“We’re delighted to have signed a contract with Built, an organisation with a tremendous reputation to deliver this hugely exciting project for South Australia,” he said.
“The building’s name, ‘UCity’ was chosen to sum up the multi-faceted activities within our new building, including a central city, high-rise retirement village.
“It’s modern, simple and a little bit quirky, reflecting the essence of the wide range of vital services Uniting Communities provides to South Australians in need.”
Built is one of Australia’s largest private construction groups with more than 650 employees and offices in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Perth.
Built Managing Director, Brett Mason said “We have a strong commitment to the South Australian market and have developed solid relationships with local subcontractors and suppliers which we’re excited to bring to this landmark project for Uniting Communities.”
“At Built we believe in making a positive impact in the communities in which we operate and this project provides us with a great opportunity to reinvigorate this part of central Adelaide for the community and contribute to new jobs and economic growth.”
Uniting Communities is the first South Australian organisation and the first registered charity in Australia to be certified as carbon neutral by NCOS (National Carbon Offset Standard).
The U City building has been designed to a minimum five star green rating (as recognised by The Green Building Council of Australia), and will include a 50 kilowatt solar system on the roof.
