Centurion plots $300m triple-tower redevelopment for heritage John Martin’s warehouse on Adelaide’s North Terrace
Singaporean developer Centurion has unveiled plans for a major mixed-use redevelopment of the former John Martin & Co warehouse building on Adelaide CBD's dress circle North Terrace.
The $300 million redevelopment will comprise three towers, rising behind and above the preserved 19th-century sandstone façade. The proposal would retain and integrate the heritage-listed structure while introducing a trio of contemporary towers that combine student accommodation, residential apartments, and commercial uses.
There will be apartments to purchase, as well as a 30-storey, purpose-built student accommodation tower, designed to respond to growing demand for dedicated student housing in Adelaide’s CBD. Ground and podium levels across the development are expected to host retail, food and beverage, and entertainment uses, helping to activate the street edge and create stronger pedestrian connections between North Terrace and the nearby Rundle Mall retail precinct.
A key element of the proposal is the preservation of the site’s historic sandstone building, constructed in 1867 and designed by prominent colonial architects Edmund Wright, Edward John Woods, and Edward Hamilton. The building originally operated as a warehouse for the well-known Adelaide department store John Martin & Co before the retailer closed in 1998.
The site sits opposite several of Adelaide’s most significant cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, the State Library, and the university precinct. Its location places it within a corridor that connects the city’s cultural, education, and retail destinations.
It is the second redevelopment proposal on North Terrace in recent months, with Palumbo Group set to redevelop the heritage-listed former Royal Hotel which has laid vacant for over a decade.
They are planning 211 apartments across two towers, just over a kilometre from Centurion's project.
Read more: Palumbo Group to redevelop Kent Town pub into new apartment development
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at Apartments.com.au, where he leads the editorial team and oversees the country’s most comprehensive news coverage dedicated to the off the plan property market. With more than a decade of experience in residential real estate journalism, Joel brings deep insight into Australia’s evolving development landscape.
He holds a degree in Business Management with a major in Journalism from Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and has developed a particular expertise in off the plan apartment space. Joel’s editorial lens spans the full lifecycle of a project, from site acquisition and planning approvals through to new launches, construction completions, and final sell-out, delivering trusted, buyer-focused content that supports informed decision-making across the property journey
