With the landmark Adelaide University merger, plans for a privately built 31-storey tower have been announced, with construction ready to begin in late 2025.
The immense student accommodation tower will go up at 88 North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Convention Centre. Poised to become a major student accommodation hub for Adelaide University, this $350 million development could solidify Adelaide as a #1 preference for international students.
Located just south of the historic Trinity Church, the new development will house over 1,000 students in the heart of the city. With the Adelaide University merger and ambitious plans to attract an extra 6,000 international students by 2030, this project is kicking off at a prime time. The location is steps away from the Adelaide University City West Campus and the state-of-the-art biomedical precinct.
The development includes a landscaped plaza along North Terrace, serving as both an outdoor student hub and a welcoming gateway to the CBD.
The complex promises world-class student experience areas and a modern environment supportive of study. The project will also contribute to the city’s history by upgrading adjacent Trinity Church buildings, ensuring the development builds upon existing heritage architecture.
Adelaide developer 1835 Property, the firm behind the project, has worked closely with government authorities and Heritage SA to bring this vision to life. Construction will kick off in late 2025, with completion expected by 2027. In the meantime, it’s expected to generate 450 full-time jobs.
1835 Property Managing Director Jason Di Iulio said, “Where young people choose to study is not just about tuition, but the experience of university life. Students want world-class facilities coupled with a supportive environment, which is what this development is designed to achieve.”
“88 North Terrace will be an Adelaide landmark with its uninterrupted 360-degree views. The
expansion of Adelaide’s Bio-Medical precinct, together with the merger of The University of
Adelaide and University of South Australia, make this development a huge opportunity for the
city.”
Premier Peter Malinauskas said, “The university sector is hugely important to our state, not only because of the academic and industry benefits, but from the flow-on investment it generates.”
“Education is South Australia’s biggest service export. Revenue generated from international
students is now worth $3 billion a year. Investment in quality student accommodation means
we can continue to seek more international students without worrying about potential student
caps or having unintentional impacts on the housing market.”
“We want to grow our universities so that we are educating more young people and we are
building more connections with future leaders across our region, and to do that we need to
provide high-quality accommodation for students.”
Universities Australia Chief Executive Luke Sheehy said, “We know that we’re constructing fewer houses than we did before the pandemic. It’s a Team Australia effort to make sure that universities, along with federal and state governments and the private sector, turbocharge our construction efforts to get more housing.”
Senior Pastor at Trinity Network of Churches Paul Harrington said, “We see this partnership to develop our site as a wonderful opportunity to enhance our ministry to the people of the City of Adelaide as well as international and local students.”
“This development will place us at the heart of a vibrant university precinct as well as provide an opportunity to redeploy some of our resources into the growing network of churches we have across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia.”
With planning approval expected by mid-year, Adelaide is on the brink of a major transformation in student living. If all goes according to plan, 88 North Terrace will soon stand as an international student hub welcoming students from across the globe and bolstering Adelaide University as a top university destination in Australia.
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