Flinders Village, a transformational $1.5 billion development at Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus, will create the biggest integrated health and education precinct in South Australia, adding economic value to the state and the nation.
Adjacent to the new Flinders Station, the development will feature student accommodation, an advanced Health Research facility, transitional health accommodation, a hotel, and amenities such as retail facilities, benefitting students, staff and the community.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling says Flinders Village will energise southern Adelaide, unlock significant research and educational opportunities and be a catalyst for economic growth and jobs.
“Flinders Village is a key part of Flinders’ overarching plan for growth and development. It will complement the University’s existing investments in the Tonsley Innovation District, support the Flinders health precinct and leverage the $125 million investment by the federal and state Government in the Flinders Link rail extension that will connect our campus with the Adelaide CBD.
“The University plans to leverage the investment in the train connection to attract private capital for the development of Flinders Village in ways that will grow the University and unlock the enormous potential of southern Adelaide” he says.
The first stage of the project will be a Health Research building with a focus on mental health, infectious disease and personalised health delivery. In parallel , we plan to increase the number of student residential spaces to accommodate the growing numbers of regional and international students choosing to live on campus.
Professor Stirling says the University will now enter an exciting phase where vision will become reality.
“Flinders University has a pivotal role in South Australia’s growth and development, attracting international students, supporting talented researchers and creating a dynamic, innovation-focused community.
“In addition to furthering health services and research, our new urban centre with accommodation and retail amenities will benefit our Bedford Park and Tonsley campuses, the adjacent hospitals and surrounding suburbs.
“We will run an open process to identify development partners and future tenants, and work with our communities to create a vibrant urban environment which meets their needs now and into the future. Flinders has a strong focus on sustainability, and designers will be challenged to incorporate world’s best practice thinking into their proposals.
“Flinders has a proud history as a pioneer in integrated health – ours is the first medical school in the nation to be integrated into a public hospital. We’re at the core of a health and education precinct that includes the state’s busiest hospital, educates the majority of the state’s medical workforce and contributes a substantial proportion of the State’s biomedical research.
“Knowledge is the key to creating a better world. Flinders Village is an investment in knowledge – making a difference in the education we deliver, the research we pursue and in our support for our community” Professor Stirling says.
Background
Independent analysis commissioned by Flinders University indicates the development’s potential to:
- Deliver a $1.5 billion development which brings additional economic value to Adelaide’s south and SA
- Bring 5,000 additional international students to Adelaide
- Improve student accommodation and provide an additional 3,000 student beds
- Increase annual education exports by $99 million and generate in excess of $150 million in additional annual overall export earnings for South Australia
- Create 10,000+ construction ‘job years’ during the development phase
- The project will deliver
- State-of-the-art research facilities and teaching simulation spaces
- Affordable, safe, high quality student accommodation on campus
- Transition healthcare accommodation for patients from rural and regional areas and their families visiting the Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders Private Hospital
- Retail amenities and related infrastructure for a growing population of staff and students and for the local community
- Hotel accommodation to support visitation to southern Adelaide
- Facilities for use by the University and local residents for community and sporting activities
- Additional car parking infrastructure to service Flinders Village
- Additional open spaces and sustainable design
In addition to its own investments the University will invite public and private partners to develop Flinders Village and its research, education and employment precincts.
The University will work with its partners, the hospitals and government to integrate the new rail line and other public transport, existing and emerging, into the future development.
Time line
- Expressions of interest from developers will be sought for the health and medical research building, student accommodation, and Village and public realm by the end of the year
- Aligned milestones: Darlington upgrade completion in 2020, Flinders Link rail construction complete 2020
- The Health Research building will be shovel ready in late 2020 and built during 2021-22
- An interim “pop up” village will be established at the rail station in 2021
- Construction of student accommodation to occur in stages from 2021
- Construction of Flinders Village to commence in 2021
- Transitional accommodation, hotel facilities and retail will be progressively completed between 2022 and circa 2030
