Cafe, townhouses in $1.5 million plan for Magill Institute
A CENTURY-OLD Magill landmark, abandoned for seven years, is being brought back to life in a $1.5 million makeover.
Work has started on transforming the 113-year-old Magill Institute, on Magill Rd, into a community hub, including a cafe, offices and five, three-storey townhouses.
A local syndicate, headed by accounting firm Hayes Knight and its director, Ross Sicuro, is behind the upgrade of the historic building, which has been empty since the Windsor Theatre closed in 2008.
Work is expected to be complete by April.
Intrepid Property managing director Craig Feely, who is selling the apartments and leasing the offices, told the East Torrens Messenger the upgrade would help breathe new life into the area.
“This building is undergoing a full refurbishment to return it to its former glory as the Magill Institute,” Mr Feely said.
“The upgrade … will help improve the vibrancy and ensure the precinct flourishes.”
He said the work would also complement Burnside and Campbelltown councils’ plan to transform Magill into a shopping and cultural hub.
Under the largely unfunded Magill Village plan, Magill Rd would be given a European feel, including a village square at the intersection of Magill Rd and Pepper St, lower speed limits, more bike lanes, parking and trees.
“The upgrade of the Magill Institute will add to that plan and help improve the vibrancy,” Mr Feely said.
Two of the townhouses have already been sold, while the mezzanine office has been leased to Alexander Brown Architects.
A cafe, to be called Hibernia, will be run by Stephen Lowery and Zoi Kokoti, who already run Eire Cafe, on Springbank Rd, Clapham.
Mr Freely said negotiations for the sale of two of the townhouses were underway and there was also interest in the two ground-floor offices from a medical practice.
Built in 1902, Campbelltown Council bought the Magill Institute in 1977 and used it was a meeting hall.
From 1991 to 2008 it was leased to the Windsor Theatre Group and operated as a cinema until the business closed.
The council discussed using the building as a library in 2007, but those plans were deemed too costly.
Developers bought the local heritage-listed site and, in November 2012, lodged an application to convert the building into a 21-apartment student accommodation complex.
That application later lapsed.
The Hayes Knight syndicate bought the site earlier this year.
Source: Adelaide Now, Daniela Abbracciavento, 1st November 2015
Originally published as: Cafe, townhouses in $1.5 million plan for Magill Institute
