The transformation of land surrounding Alberton Oval has entered the formal planning stage, paving the way for a major mixed-use development.
The South Australian Government has approved the initiation of the Alberton Square Code Amendment, allowing the Port Adelaide Football Club to begin preparing detailed rezoning plans and undertake community consultation.
The proposal would open up the precinct between Alberton Oval and Port Road, creating a new hub combining residential, commercial, retail, health and wellbeing uses.
Plans include between 250 and 300 apartments, up to 20,000sq m of commercial floor space, supporting an estimated 570 jobs. Building heights would increase from the current two-storey limit to a maximum of 13 storeys, subject to planning approvals.
A key feature of the development is a focus on medical, allied health and wellbeing services, building on the precinct's high-performance sporting facilities.
Port Adelaide Football Club chair David Koch said the project represented a unique opportunity to create a destination precinct in Adelaide's west.
"This vision for Alberton Square will create a world-class mixed-use precinct, including commercial, health and wellness, education, community and residential uses across an almost 20,000sq m site between Alberton Oval and Port Road," Mr Koch said.
"This development seamlessly integrates an AFL club's elite facilities with a dynamic, multi-use community environment where people will live, work and play."
The development forms part of the club's long-term growth strategy and comes amid broader renewal across the Port Adelaide region.
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said the concept drew inspiration from successful sports-led precinct developments internationally.
"Port Adelaide's vision for the expansion of the Alberton Oval precinct and opening it up to Port Road has been modelled on similar campus-style developments around the world, which incorporate high-performance sports facilities and venues to provide much greater community use and amenity," Mr Richardson said.
He said the club would continue working through the formal planning process while engaging with residents and stakeholders throughout the project's next stages.
The site is already well served by public transport, sitting within walking distance of both Alberton and Cheltenham railway stations and alongside bus services on Port Road.
A concept plan will be developed to guide building heights, infrastructure connections and transitions between the new precinct and surrounding residential neighbourhoods.
The proposal follows the recent rezoning of the Prospect Oval precinct, approved in July, which unlocked around 500 homes and a mixed-use precinct on Main North Road.
