Commercial & General appointed to deliver Master Precinct for Southwark Grounds

Southwark Grounds will transform into a fully amenitised inner-city neighbourhood as a South Australian developer is selected as the master developer to transform two-thirds of the former West End Brewery site.

The Malinauskas Labor Government will partner with South Australian developer Commercial & General to deliver more than 1,000 homes alongside a supermarket, a childcare centre, and aged care facility and a vibrant hospitality and retail precinct at Adelaide’s newest suburb.

Commercial & General will work with Renewal SA on adaptive reuse of the historic Walkerville Brew Tower, which will anchor the precinct’s public space with hospitality and retail uses.

The newly announced homes, services and amenities form part of the broader 1,300‑home Southwark Grounds development, expanding on five apartment and townhouse projects on the western side of the site announced last year, which will deliver approximately 300 new homes.

Local development group Commercial & General are known for landmark projects across Adelaide including Eighty‑Eight O’Connell in North Adelaide and WEST at West Lakes. They will now enter exclusive negotiations with Renewal SA to finalise the development agreement. 

These negotiations will pave the way for a decade-long program of works, building on the momentum of four townhouse and apartment development sites in the precinct that are set to break ground in 2026.

Commercial & General is now finalising partnerships with a curated selection of architects and consultants to progress detailed plans and product designs for the precinct. Built form will be delivered by Commercial & General’s integrated building division, Tandem Building, with work expected to begin in 2027.

The first stage is anticipated to include a significant apartment complex, public parking and the redevelopment of the Walkerville Brew Tower.

Other key elements planned for delivery within the next five years include a vertical residential aged care facility and a purpose-built childcare centre, with a supermarket and supporting retail to follow soon after. 

This large section of the precinct will deliver more than 1,000 homes across approximately a dozen apartment buildings, with opportunities for increased yield to be explored through increased height allowances enabled by the recently launched Southwark Grounds Code Amendment. 

Commercial & General will also deliver a dedicated 80-space short stay public car park to support anticipated visitor demand, in addition to parking provided within individual apartment developments. 

More than 20 per cent of homes within the development area will be allocated to affordable sale or rental, meeting Renewal SA’s increased commitment to affordable housing across the precinct.

Apartment buildings will be framed by activated public thoroughfares and a series of new reserves to be delivered by Renewal SA across 2026 and 2027.

The public realm, which will comprise a minimum of 15 per cent of the overall precinct, will be anchored by a major civic space known as ‘Brewery Green’, connecting the Walkerville Brew Tower to the river.

A detailed masterplan of the precinct alongside product typologies are set to be released later this year. 

The Malinauskas Labor Government have embarked on several strategic infill developments to deliver critical housing supply to South Australia at pace.

The Government purchased the Port Road site from Lion Beer Wine & Spirits Pty Ltd in 2023 after the closure of the brewery two years earlier.

Quotes attributable to Jamie McClurg, Executive Chairman, Commercial & General

Commercial & General is proud to partner with the Government to transform Southwark Grounds into a connected, high impact community that delivers lasting benefits for South Australia.

As a locally based team, we understand the urgency of providing quality, affordable housing close to jobs, transport and essential services. This development will help unlock new housing opportunities on the CBD fringe while strengthening Adelaide’s role as a liveable, inclusive city.

The site’s proximity to the health precinct creates a unique opportunity to support those who care for our community. 

Integrated aged care, childcare and dedicated key worker housing—linked to the Royal Adelaide and new Women’s & Children’s Hospital—will provide critical accommodation and support for the health workforce and the broader community

Quotes attributable to Peter Malinauskas

The next chapter in Southwark’s rich history is here.

Over the coming years, this site come to life as a vibrant, well-connected new suburb.

Commercial & General are a world-class developer with the pedigree to capitalise on the opportunity Southwark Grounds presents.

Our political opponents criticised us when we bought the West End Brewery site.

Unlike them, we did not want to see this site lay vacant for years as part of a developer’s portfolio. We wanted homes to be built for South Australians, fast.

We have been able to set the pace of development. And in less than three short years, there are frames up, with people moving in this year. And a vision to transform the entire site into one of Adelaide’s most exciting places.

Quotes attributable to Nick Champion

This is the full vision for Southwark Grounds - a thriving inner-city neighbourhood built on the bones of a much-loved South Australian icon.

In Commercial & General, we've chosen a developer with the track record and the ambition to match the scale of Australia’s most exciting urban development project.

The Walkerville Brew Tower will be the heart of this new precinct. It will serve as a nod to Southwark's history at the centre of its future.

Southwark Grounds is exactly the kind of bold, strategic infill development that will make a real difference to housing supply in South Australia.