House builds start at 430-home St. James estate in Kidman Park

Construction of the first homes in one of Adelaide’s largest infill housing projects has commenced.

Developer Fairland’s St. James housing estate at the former Metcash distribution centre in Kidman Park will feature more than 430 homes including a mix of detached houses, townhouses and apartments.

Stretching across 11ha, the project will also feature 1.6ha of open space, including a green “spine” connecting residents to the River Torrens Linear Park.

Project director Scott Searle said the project had generated strong community support in Adelaide’s west.

“This is a flagship project for our company and we’re extremely conscious of creating a landmark community that residents can be proud to call their home,” he said.

St. James project director Scott Searle with assistant development manager Courtney Clark. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“This is a site that has been shut off to the public for decades and we’re excited about the progress we are making with our valued project partners to transform it into something special and meaningful while delivering critical housing.”

St. James will eventually become home to more than 1000 residents, with the first homes expected to be completed by March 2026.

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A mixed-use precinct is earmarked for the corner of Valetta and Findon roads, to include a childcare centre, shops and apartments.

The development is a slight move away from Fairland’s roots in greenfield housing, with projects under development north and south of Adelaide, as well as in Queensland.

Artist’s impression of the homes on offer at the St. James housing development. Picture: Supplied by Fairland

But with competition for land as fierce as ever, Fairmont Group chief executive Marc Taintey – who heads up the group comprising developer Fairland and home builder Fairmont Homes – said the group was open to a broader range of large-scale housing developments, both in SA and Queensland.

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“Greenfields is what Fairland has done forever, 40-odd years, which is the same thing we do in Queensland – we know that world really well,” he said.

“But the reality of land supply, and the ability to find sites, is we would evaluate any site at scale in South Australia – you assess each one on its merits, which is what happened with this one (Kidman Park).

Artist’s impression of the townhouses at the St. James housing development. Picture: Supplied by Fairland

“There’s probably two tiers of competition. There’s competition from really good, proven interstate guys like Villawood and others, but then there’s also some speculative investment in sites … that may not necessarily understand the developable nature of the site.”

Fairland is currently overseeing the 1200-home Vista development at Seaford Heights and The Entrance at Angle Vale, which will comprise of 700 homes.

Mr Taintey said the developer was closing in on further land acquisitions near The Entrance project in Adelaide’s fast-growing north.

“As a business, the intent is to have three to four mature projects going at any point in time, in terms of the capacity of the business and what it likes to deliver.”

The 11ha development will include 1.6ha of open space. Picture: Supplied by Fairland

At St. James, the first public road through the estate is set to open to traffic in August, and roadworks are under way to improve connections from Findon and Valetta roads.

Mr Searle said that since launching last October, almost 60 of the 430-plus homes had been sold.

“We’re seeing interest from a broad cross-section of buyers – from first home buyers entering the market, to growing families wanting more space, and downsizing couples drawn to the convenience and style of contemporary, low-maintenance living,” he said.

– By Giuseppe Tauriello

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